The Zombie Run 5K, Des Moines

Some runners race for the thrill of victory while others just want to escape from the living dead. Half traditional 5K, half horror movie come to life, the Zombie Run 5K has something for everyone. At the starting line, the human racers—known for their ability to enunciate, give warm handshakes, and appreciate paprika—are tipped off that horror looms as they embark from a flipped tanker that has spilled zombie-birthing toxic goo. After a 1K warm-up, the tension ratchets as contestants enter the second K's militarized zone, where the walking, lurching, and jogging dead begin to give chase.

Now since zombies are a fictional creation, they're played by fellow racers clad in bloody makeup and trained in zombie choreography. And since eating people is still illegal in the U.S., humans wear flags that the zombies grab in lieu of chomping. Zombies multiply like zombie rabbits across three more running zones, including a vaccination hydration center reprieve and a heart-pounding 2K free-for-all to the finish. Alive or "dead," everybody gets to finish the race, which is followed by the Quarantine Party—featuring live DJ music from alive DJs, snacks and refreshments, and movie-quality zombie makeovers for people who want to nail the job interviews they have the next day.