Have you ever fantasized about being a character in George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead?” Your heart is pounding and the adrenaline is flowing as you leap over obstacles in an attempt to evade your un-dead neighbor Steve and his flesh-eating ways. That bastard! He’s probably just upset you never returned his Craftsman 154 piece mechanics tool set that you borrowed last summer. Probably.But I digress.
I did a bit of research, and according to The Google, time travel hasn’t been figured out just yet. So y’know, no “Night of the Living Dead” fantasy for you, buddy. Fortunately, I’ve stumbled upon what might be the next best thing. Run For Your Lives, which bills itself as a “zombie infested 5K obstacle course,” will invade at least 11 locations throughout the United States in 2012. If running is your thing, and being chased by zombies is a close second, then this may be right up your alley.
If you’re sick of pounding the pavement and need a break from the ordinary, extreme races can be a nice little departure from the average 5k (see: Mudathlon, Warrior Dash, Spartan Race, etc.). The atmosphere at a typical extreme race is quite festive. There’s a good chance that there will be post-race food, and live music is usually a given. And yes, there’s usually plenty of beer.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of participating in an extreme race (for me, anyway) is that you don’t have to focus on running a PR. You simply let your hair down, grab some friends, and take on whatever obstacles are thrown your way. There’s a good chance that you’ll encounter plenty of mud, ropes, tires, more mud, water, fire, explosions, and walls. Oh, and zombies. Can’t forget about the zombies.
The only caveat is that most extreme races often come with a hefty registration fee, and Run For Your Lives is no exception. If you feel like being chased by zombies for 3.1 miles it’ll cost you a whopping $77. Pick your jaw up from the floor, because that isn’t a typo.
I’ll let you decide if $77 is worth it to run with the zombies, but if you’re on the fence about it, think of it like this – This could be your one chance to prepare for that whole zombie apocalypse thing on Dec. 21, 2012. You know, just in case those pesky Mayans knew what they were talking about.
*Note* This article is not an official Anywhere5k endorsement of the Run For Your Lives event or any of the races mentioned above (or maybe it is). Hat tip: CNN’s Geek Out blog.
About Mikey
Social media manager and copywriter. Craft beer lover. Bibliophile. Abraham Lincolnophile. Punk rock disciple. Hoosier transplant. Runner-in-training. Favorite quote: ”Although I might like it for one afternoon, I don’t want to live on the moon.” – A wise sage
