Can a runner outrun a zombie?

Halloween just ended a week ago and still people can’t get enough of the chills and thrills that this occasion brings. And because the Walking Dead season 6 also rolled out a few weeks ago- we tried to answer the question: can a regular runner outrun a zombie?

We are not talking about the elites who can blaze the 5K distance in less than 20 minutes. Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele did it in 12 minutes and 37 seconds, currently the world record for the 5000 meter run, and will likely be faster if a horde of zombies was in his tail, theoretically. No, we just want regular folks who just happen to be invited by a friend (through peer pressure or the idea of losing weight) in a weekend fun run.

The Runner

The first rule of zombie-apocalypse is CARDIO and runners are supposed to have more of it than those who are not exposed to endurance activities.

A popular zombie run event in the US called the Run for Your Life has the perfect doomsday setting and is considered as the more popular zombie-themed race in the world.We dig into the data of one of the recent fun runs and extracted that the average pace for Filipino runners stand at 7.6 minutes per kilometer (mins/km). Now that is without obstacles and without the added distraction (or motivation) of a flesh eating corpse who looks at you like your its next Happy Meal.

Filipinos should also be wary because we may be the slowest runners in the world, according to a research by Jens Jakob Andersen of Copenhagen Business School. The data from the study suggested Pinoy marathoners finish their race at an average of 5 hours, 15 minutes and 13 seconds or a pace of 7.5 mins/km. Compare this to the global average finishing time of 4 hours, 21 minutes and 21 seconds or a 6.2 min/ km pace.

The Zombie

Movies have portrayed that zombies are of two types- the fast ones (runners) and the slow ones (walkers). Much like any running event. But, should zombies truly roam the Earth because of an underground facility developing biochemical weapons you may want to choose the movie you are in.

If you are in the World War Z or 28 days later movie, you might as well search for an unmanned vehicle and drive it like you stole it. If you have watched any of these films, you know that their zombies are the sprinter types.

Because zombies do not exist (yet) in the real world there is not much data to compare both man and undead when they are on the move. However, fact testing TV show, Myth Busters reenact if you can escape a horde of them.

There is also the ongoing debate whether zombies will move fast or slow. It seems it has something to do with the type of contamination the undead virus will carry. One possibility is that zombies are reanimated corpses and since their flesh is not regenerating they do not feel pain but would likely have dull movements. On the other hand, a person who simply inhibits the brain eating disorder (much like in World War Z) will likely to be fast as they have their muscles intact.

Conclusion

Chances are you are not going to encounter a zombie on the streets any time soon. But its great to know that there are races that tickles the imagination. In the end, you really don’t have to outrun the zombie, you just have to outrun the person next to you.

Two Halloween-themed running events are slated before the year ends- the Zombie Escape Challenge Run on November 21 and the Outbreak Manila- Arca South on December 5.