Zombie Buffet 5K, Columbus

Before Zombie Buffet 5K, the zombie apocalypse was simply a tall tale played out in movies and among survival enthusiasts. Now, the deliciously horrific fantasy has been realized in the form of a fun and challenging 5K. First, runners must choose a side—either traverse the course as a runner, or move about the infected habitat as a sprinting or roaming zombie.

Each runner gets two health flags, which zombies try their undead best to steal. When runners lose both flags, they become zombies and must then hunt down their fellows in search of other flags. The zombie with the most flags in each starting wave wins and goes home with the happy knowledge that they are the fittest of the unfit. The top three runners in each wave who finish with at least one health flag still intact will win the running division.

Regardless of their alignment, all participants get swag such as a Zombie Buffet 5K T-shirt, a silicone bracelet, and dog tags, but the running winners and zombie winners are bestowed additional secret grand prizes.