PLYMOUTH — The sleepy little village on the Richland County line has a dark secret: the undead are roaming the streets of Plymouth — or at least they will be on Oct. 18.
Reanimated corpses will slouch through town in search of human flesh during the fourth annual “Run of the Dead.” The 5K event is sponsored by Levels Gym and organized by owner Bruce Tanner.
“I love Halloween,” said Tanner, a 1996 Plymouth High School graduate who opened the business on the village square in August of 2010. “So I thought, ‘I run a gym. Why not have Halloween be a part of it?’ People love dressing up and getting into the spirit of it.”
Tanner, who coordinated the “Color Riot” 5K at the Richland County Fairgrounds in August, staged his first “Run of the Dead” in 2011. The response among participants and village officials has been enthusiastic.
“It’s not very often that you get to have zombies running around town chasing people,” Tanner said. “The town really helps us out a lot. They let us run through abandon buildings. The course really can’t be beat.”
So what was the inspiration behind the event?
“I’ve always loved haunted houses,” Tanner said. “I thought, ‘Why not have the entire town be a haunted house?’ It wouldn’t have made much sense for a gym to sponsor a haunted house, but a 5K works.”
The event begins at 6:45 p.m., meaning participants will be dodging ghouls after the sun goes down.
“We will be running in the dark,” Tanner said. “If you’re looking to set a personal record, it’s not going to be on this course. That’s for sure.
“It’s not a competitive race. The whole idea is to have fun.”
Registration is limited to the first 500 victims. They will be chased by an army of undead volunteers.
“We have a couple people here in town do all the make-up,” Tanner said. “They do a great job.”
Participants can register online , at Levels Gym, 19 E. Main St., or on the day of the event from 4 to 6 p.m. There will be a costume contest at 6:30.
“People really get into it,” Tanner said. “They go all-out with their costumes.
As for Tanner, the self-described zombie enthusiast can’t wait.
“It’s fun being able to put something like this on,” he said. “It’s not a traditional event, but people are excited about it, especially in a little village like this. It’s got some creepy areas. I like that.”
“It’s not very often that you get to have zombies running around town chasing people,” Bruce Tanner said.
