On Saturday, October 29, The Sinister Cellar hosted a 5K run throughout Fort Branch at 8:00 a.m. There were different stages for the runners based on age groups: three and under and four to six. The three and younger group ran to their parents who were up the street from the starting line. The four to six year olds ran up the street and back to the starting line. After the kids ran, the zombies settled into place to catch runners who had velcro flags around their waists when they ran or walked by. If a zombie took a flag, the person would be “dead” but not disqualified. The winner of the 5K was Jason Spindler. 

Former Gibson Southern High School teacher John Spradley was part of the Zombie Run.

“It is just fun,” Spradley said. “I get to work in the zombie run and the haunted house. It is just an opportunity to dress up and put on a costume, act goofy and just enjoy life.”

Spradley also likes getting people to spend time outdoors to exercise.

“It’s a big thing because I feel like I am helping [people get some exercise],” Spradley said. “I help them get their cardio in and help out their adrenaline rush and make sure their hearts work well.”

For the zombies in the zombie run, they would hide in a spot and wait until they saw the runners. Then, they would start chasing them. One of the zombies that participated was Kendal Gomez, a freshman at Gibson Southern. She did the zombie run to get her Sunshine Society hours for the Sweetheart Dance. Like Spradley, Gomez was also very excited to scare people.

“I’ve heard that it was fun, but I wasn’t able to sign up at the time because I was out of town,” Gomez said. “I thought that I could get some Sunshine hours, and I really like helping out the community.”

Junior Gabby Baehl was one of the runners who competed. Her time was 28 minutes and 32 seconds. She ran the race along with her family. 

“My family signed me up, and they said that we were going to do it,” Baehl said. “I was like, ‘Okay, sounds good.’ The people in charge made it really cool. The zombies were really cool, too.”