The South Coast Botanic Garden will host its first-ever zombie themed run on Nov. 15, with a portion of proceeds benefitting the garden foundation and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Zombies prepare to menace runners at a similar run held at Claremont's Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in May. (Photo courtesy J6 Events)
The Palos Verdes Peninsula’s picturesque South Coast Botanic Garden has seen plenty of 5Ks run through its 87 acres over the years.
But there’s a slightly different crowd coming this weekend.
On Saturday, hundreds of zombies will descend on the grounds for the garden’s first Dead Garden Run. Their mission will be to emerge from hiding places along the route to frighten the runners and strip a vinyl flag from their waists.
Put on by J6 Events — an Ontario-based company that hosted its first zombie run at Claremont’s Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in May — the event kicks off at 7 a.m., sending more than 1,000 runners on a route weaving along the garden’s meadows and groves.
A portion of the proceeds — tickets are $50 online, $65 at the gates and $10 for spectators and children 12 and younger — will benefit the South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Also on site will be an American Red Cross bloodmobile, more than 30 community and food vendors, and a post-apocalypse party at the finish line complete with a disc jockey and beer garden.
“This is the first time we’ve had something like this, so we’re excited,” said Yuri Oda, the South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation’s special events and programs manager. “It should be fun, and I don’t think it will be too scary.”
The foundation was approached by J6 Events earlier this year when organizers were looking for another botanic garden to put on a run after the success of the Claremont event. Having a zombie run in a botanic garden might seem a somewhat random idea because it is, according to J6 events manager Aaron Berg.
“We decided we were going to produce a zombie run and we were looking at satellite images on Google Maps for a good location when we came across winding trails in Claremont and found out it was a botanic garden,” he said. “We thought it was a long shot, but the director of visitor services was enthusiastic about the idea.”
So began the Dead Garden Run.
The Palos Verdes Peninsula route isn’t quite long enough to be a 5K — it’s 4.3 kilometers — but the run isn’t a race anyway, though there is a competitive element. Runners will wear flag football belts around their waists that packs of volunteer zombies hiding behind bushes will try to pull off of them.
The runners who finish with their flags intact will get a free beer or soft drink at the post-apocalypse party. There will also be a few carnival-style games and team competitions.
Berg said it will be easy to distinguish the volunteer zombies — more than 200 have signed up so far — from runners who might come dressed up as zombies because the volunteers will stay in designated areas on the course.
The runners will take off in groups staggered throughout the day and be reminded to stay off of the garden’s more than 2,500 species of plants from around the world.
“The company has been very good about making sure the property is respected and getting the word out so the runners don’t trample all over the plants,” Oda said.
The run has been advertised on digital billboards along several Southern California freeways and on commercials airing during episodes of “The Walking Dead.”
South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation staff members hope the regional advertising will bring visitors to the garden who might not see or know about it otherwise.
“The idea of a zombie run is nothing new or novel, they’ve been doing them for years, but what is novel about our event is it’s through a botanic garden,” Berg said. “You get to run through one of the most beautiful locations for a good cause and the whole zombie theme is an added entertainment value.”
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