On October 19, 2024, the City of Evanston held the ninth annual Zombie Scramble. Participants 8 and up walked and ran along a course through the Ladd Arboretum, Butler Park and Twiggs Park filled with volunteer “zombies.”

“It’s tradition,” said eighth grader Mira Matouschek. She participated in the scramble for the third time this year. “And it’s a very fun event.”

The nearly 2-mile course was made up of alternating infected and safe areas with two challenge stops that runners paused to complete.

Runners were all given flag football belts with attached flags or “lives,” for zombies to try to steal. If a runner lost one life, they became “infected,” and if they lost them all, they became a zombie.

“The older kids run around and try and take younger kids’ flags,” explained Matouschek.

The older kids, the volunteer zombies, must be at least 14 years old and often choose to sign up for the same zone of the course as their friends. Zombies can also earn community service hours from their participation.

“I thought it was fun to volunteer because it’s like playing tag but with a reward,” said Chloe Ross, a sophomore at ETHS and a zombie in this year’s event.

Ross’s younger sister participated in this year’s scramble as a runner, so Ross looked forward to trying to steal her sister’s flags.

“I did the zombie scramble a couple of years ago and really liked it, so I thought it would be fun to be on the other side as a zombie,” Ross said. “People are looking to find a way to participate, even when they age out of being a participant.”

Runners who made it through the course with at least one life were given “survival” certificates. A post-scramble party was held at the end of the course, where participants could purchase food from local food trucks and make free s’mores while catching up with everyone they might have lost track of during the run.

“It’s a community building event,” said Matouschek.