An organisation takes care of setting everything up so nothing's missing, with staging that transports participants to a genuine zombie apocalypse. You can find more information in this section, and below we'll explain how it works.
What can humans do?
During the races participants wear a belt with coloured flags representing their lives, and zombies must take all of them to eliminate runners. However, as an incentive, there are checkpoints where runners can replenish lost lives along the route.
The most thrilling part is that while there's a start and finish line, there's no fixed route - participants must navigate their own way to the finish line after overcoming all obstacles.
What can zombies do?
The undead can chase victims to take the flags from their belts, though they cannot touch, push or grab them... (Nor can humans attack their pursuers).
When chasing humans for their health flags, they can't take them all at once - just one flag per participant.
There are two types of zombies: regular ones that can only walk after participants, and hunters that can run (and must do so throughout the event, though they may take turns resting).
What obstacles will participants face?
The courses feature various obstacles to overcome, including nets, paths through car tyres, wooden platforms, pools, ropes suspended half a metre above the ground to crawl under... Mid-course there may be water, grass and mud sections to complicate runners' progress.
Who wins?
Runners who reach the finish line first with at least one remaining flag win the race. Organisers typically establish staggered start times to avoid too many participants running simultaneously.
What's the point of all this?
First and foremost, it's about having great fun with friends, doing sport in an original way and attending an unusual event far removed from typical weekend plans.
Prizes are usually a T-shirt, race number, medal or soft drink, though sponsors may provide higher-value rewards. Spectators can also attend an apocalypse-themed afterparty, which has become traditional at these events.
At all races you can participate as either zombie or human. Choosing the former typically includes a makeup team to enhance your undead realism, though many attendees arrive already transformed.
What is a zombie apocalypse?
In a zombie apocalypse, the world's dead rise up bloodthirsty, desperate to catch all remaining healthy humans. Several companies now run zombie survival experiences where participants must find clues in a town overrun by the undead and escape them.
So far these races have occurred worldwide in places like Indiana, Texas and Washington (USA), Mexico, and Spain's Barcelona and Madrid. Here are some videos to give you the idea:
