Danger! Zombies! 5k Run!
Arif Michael Vega, Staff Writer
The Forum, December 2015
James Russell Gill and Dr. Francesca Conte, co-owners of Bad to the Bone Endurance Sports, drew groans from Charlottesville Nov. 1, with their annual marathon Danger! Zombies! 5k Run! The marathon, held early Sunday morning, was marked by innovative costuming, mostly pertaining to zombie culture.
The race started and ended on the Downtown Mall, with the mid-point at Riverview Park. Runners dressed as humans drew motivation from flesh-eating competition close on their heels, while fruits and vegetables found it easier to mingle with the undead in attendance. In all, around 350 people participated in the event as runners and spectators. Police were stationed at busy intersections to manage traffic.
Conte said the marathon is a way of engaging people in healthy activities and to “encourage folks to get out and exercise.”
The spirit of competition was alive and well in costuming too. After the race, there was a costume contest, won by zombie bride Kristen Eberly. There were also ghosts, ghouls and other incorporations generally considered inedible to zombies as a whole. A zombie cow-boy said, “Rrraaooorgh. Mooo!”
These early hours of apocalypse were filmed by a camera disguised as a drone, which zipped around the finish line and above the contest grounds. Skyclad, a local media company staffed by humanity, supplied and operated the equipment.