The running dead infect Columbus AFB

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Stephanie Englar
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  May is Fitness Month, and while the Fitness Center puts on a multitude of different runs for runners to participate in, they were looking for ideas for a new fun run. Runners from Columbus Air Force Base and the local area flocked to Shotgun road for the Zombie Run.

A few lieutenants came in to the fitness center with the idea for a zombie run, said Robert Wilburn, 14th Force Support Squadron. "It's the craze right now, so we planned one."

The Zombie run featured a 3.2 mile muddy track which consisted of numerous zombies for runners to dodge while completing obstacles along the way. Obstacles included crawling through tubes, low crawling under netting through the mud, and a tire pit.

"The event was a great success," said Wilburn. "We had 150 runners sign up and participate in the race, so I'd say it turned out really well."

Along with completing the track, the runners had to dodge out of the way of zombies who were there to take their flags. Runners were given a flag belt that held two flags, if they lost both flags to the zombies they were considered infected.

"My preferred tactic in recovering the flags off of the runners was to chase them for as long as I could," said Patrick Caffrey, 14th Force Support Squadron, who was a zombie for the event.

Numerous participants showed up in zombie garb and had their faces painted like that of the undead before the race started. It took around 30 minutes to put on the perfect zombie face.

The 14th Civil Engineer Squadron supplied firetrucks so that after the run, muddy participants could be sprayed down by fire hoses to get most of the dirt off.

"We couldn't have made this happen without the people from civil engineering," said Wilburn. "They helped when it came to preplanning the route and also with providing the necessary equipment."

After low crawling through the mud, no participant left the race without bringing a bit of the track back with them.

"It is by far one of the most memorable events I've ever been a part of," said Caffrey. "It's not every day that someone has the opportunity to dress up, grunt and groan like the undead, as well as run around as if their limbs aren't functioning properly and just have an absolute blast."