THE living dead have been a long-time staple of horror films, but it seems their foot dragging and groaning is very much alive and kicking. This is especially true after the organisers of the second Zombie Run in KZN hailed the event as a resounding success.

The 5km run held at Giba Gorge on Valentine’s Day, aptly titled ‘My Bloody Valentine’, showed the contagiousness of their love as hundreds of runners and would-be zombies flocked to the event.

The 5km obstacle course, besides being a load of ‘bloody’ fun, also acted as a fundraiser with all proceeds going towards CROW (the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife), one of South Africa’s first dedicated wildlife rehabilitation centres.

Nick Ferreira from the organisation, Durbanite, who co-organised the event, said more than R4 500 was raised for CROW.

“In total there were 150 runners and zombies. We were expecting more, but the weather wasn’t great. That said, we were still amazed at the turnout; the atmosphere was incredible, excitement was in the air, the zombies were ready for the hunt and the runners had no idea what was in store for them with, which added to the excitement,” said the La Lucia resident.

Paul Hoyte, marketing and communications officer for CROW, said he was impressed with the turnout.

“It’s been an awesome day and it’s been a super turnout. Some of the zombies have really gone the extra mile and look really authentic.

“One of the highlights obviously has been spreading the word about the work we do at CROW. I’d like to thank the guys from Durbanite and Miss Earth, Roxanne Watson, for adding to such a successful event,” Hoyte said.

Click here to see some pics from the event