Every year, Poland Seminary High School’s Cross Country Team organizes the annual Zombie Run. The Zombie Run is a fun run intended to raise money for the team. They hold the Zombie run in conjunction with the Poland Seminary Marching Band’s percussion section. While the cross country team sets up the race, the percussion section sets up their own chili cook-off. Anyone who comes to the event may pay to participate in the judging of the best chili.
The Zombie Run is held on the wooded path wrapping around the soccer fields of the Poland Township Park. Scattered in between trees and in unsuspecting places, ‘zombies’, volunteers dressed up as zombies, to scare the runners. Of course, they are secretly friendly, but they add a little fright and fun to the run! The goal is to get through the entire race without letting the zombies pull off the tags you have on you! It is a fun and exhilarating experience for the Poland Community. We took a deeper dive into the inner workings of the race, and interviewed several people involved with the team.
Kate Harrell, a cross country runner for the school, was asked what her favorite part of the race was.
Harrell said that the race,”…brings together younger kids, older teenagers, and adults to enjoy the fall season. It’s always a fun time and it’s great to see both little kids and their parents coming to support the cross country team as well as the cross country program.”
She went on to express how the run helps build the team dynamic and atmosphere.
Harrell said, “It’s not that long of a race, and it’s super fun running with all your friends in the woods. There’s no pressure and you can just have a fun time. Plus, there’s people hiding in the woods to scare you!!”
Kate Harrell has been a top 5 runner on the cross country team for the 2023 Fall season, and is a huge team player, and a big part of why the team was just awarded NE8 Conference Champions! Congrats to the cross country team!
Kennedy Henderson is also a top 5 runner on the cross country team, and she was happy to attend the Zombie Run, this year.
Henderson is a sophomore at Poland, and she had also shared the sentiment on the Zombie run.
Henderson stated she loves when the cross country team hosts the annual Zombie Run because “…all work is done as one group instead of working as an individual.”
Henderson said she decided to walk the Zombie Run this year with some friends and had a lot of fun. No matter if you’re on the team or not, it’s a fine time for everyone!
An amazing aspect about participating in the Zombie Run is no matter if you walk or run, everyone is uplifting and supportive of each other!
Sophomore Lily McDonald walked in the zombie run this year and she said “it allows people of all ages to participate in an inclusive activity!”
McDonald expressed her love for the program and her desire to come back and participate again next year!
Although McDonald spends more time on the soccer field than the cross country course, she said, “It’s just a fun way to support the Poland cross country team and my friends that are on it!”
Overall, the Zombie Run has been a success in the past several years. People in Poland are welcome to a fun experience for all ages. Not only this but there are also T-shirts and medals awarded at the end of the race!
For next year, they expect even more community members to participate in the race, which is an exciting prospect for everybody. Consider going to help out the team, and to show your support for Poland!
