Race director Mathew Ross and his chief Zombie, his wife, Jennifer, welcomed over 800 hundred runners to the 2023 edition of the annual Zombie 5K Run, Oct. 28, 2023.
The Zombie 5K Run takes place on the flat paved trails around the Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City. The website says; The 15th annual Traverse City Zombie Run is a Halloween tradition! Over the years we’ve seen zombies from all walks of life, or should we say death. Who or what will show up this year? Right Brain Brewery will be hosting the run as always. Zombies and beer have always been a winning combination! Make sure to stick around after the race for the medal ceremony, costume prizes, music, post-race refreshments, and most of all zombie socializing! All event proceeds go to support TART Trails. The race was voted one of the best charity run or race in the Traverse City area by “Traverse The Magazine”. The Zombie 5K was voted a favorite local race by The Traverse City Track Club. The Zombie 5K website is one of the most unique websites in the area. If you have not visited the website go to the following link; Zombie 5K 2023 website
All registered participants will receive a 2023 Zombie Run tee shirt, race bib, professional timing, entertainment, and post-race refreshments. Best costume prizes will be awarded to: Best adult male and female, Best child male and female, Best Group. Race medals will be awarded to: Overall male and female winners and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place age group winners. Dogs are welcome if your dog is well-socialized to people, groups of people, and other dogs. (All dogs must be leashed in accordance with city ordinance.) All registered participants received a race t-shirt, professional timing, race bib, post-race refreshments, and entertainment.
Join the living and volunteer for the Fifteenth Annual Traverse City Zombie Run. The Zombie Run is a Traverse City Halloween tradition and we owe all of our success, and our lives to our great volunteers! On October 28th a Zombie Hoard will invade Traverse City and we will need an army of volunteers to control them as they roam our city streets. No prior experience is required, but survival skills are a must. Please help save our city and put on another great run in the process! All volunteers will receive a race t-shirt and pre and post-race refreshments. No race can exist without dedicated volunteers. Some volunteers I spoke with are Samantha Glew, who volunteered in registration, Kip Ray who helped in the Meijer tent, Mari Dew and “Omelet” of the radio WKLT team, Jeff Kepsler, who helped marshal the course who also volunteers at Oryana, Maribeth Condone and Chris Deyo, a retired employee of Tart Trails who helped in late registration. Jeff Morey brought his beautiful white hearse to frighten the runners. It was a “hearse of last resort”.
Monetary donations are welcome and appreciated and are directly given. Donations can be made online or at the race. We invite you to join us as sponsors of a unique Halloween-themed sports marketing opportunity. This is a great brand-building event that will prominently feature your products and/or services to hundreds of race-day participants and thousands of Michiganders. Your company will be promoted as part of an extensive media and marketing campaign through radio remotes and advertisements, web and online marketing, print exposure, and aggressive marketing from a team of Halloween fans and race enthusiasts. The previous year’s races drew over 1300 participants and dozens of sponsors including breweries, local radio stations, physician groups, and many more. We want this event to become a Northern Michigan tradition as the state kicks off the Halloween season.
Proceeds will be donated to TART Trails (Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails, Inc.) a 501(c)3 non-profit. TART Trails, Inc is a 501(c) 3 non-profit that formed in 1998 when four individual trail groups in the Traverse City area united to create a stronger force for recreation and alternative transportation in northwest Michigan. TART is dedicated to providing recreation and transportation opportunities as well as preserving open space corridors through a network of trails. TART builds trails and advocates for active living and outdoor recreation. Their work includes negotiating easements, hosting annual events that promote healthy lifestyles, and defending cyclist and pedestrian interests.
Sponsorship opportunities range from $250 – $2,000 giving you many affordable options. Donations of any kind are welcomed! Please help us create the premier Halloween event of the season.
Sponsorship Information follows; $250 Bucket of Blood: Recognition on Zombie Run sponsor page, Link to company website on the Zombie Run website for 1 year, Logo on Zombie Run t-shirts, 2 complimentary event entries.
$500 Blood And Guts; Recognition on Zombie Run sponsor page, Link to company website on the Zombie Run website for 1 year, Recognition on Zombie Run social media campaign, Logo on Zombie Run posters, Logo on Zombie Run t-shirts, 4 complimentary event entries.
$1,000 Arm And A Leg; Recognition on Zombie Run sponsor page, Link to company website on the Zombie Run website for 1 year, Recognition on Zombie Run social media campaign, Logo on Zombie Run posters, Logo on Zombie Run t-shirts, 6 complimentary event entries, Placement of an item in up to 1500 participant goody bags, Company provided banner placed during packet pick up and on race day.
$2,000 All The Brains You Can Eat (Presenting Sponsor): Recognition on Zombie Run sponsor page, Link to company website on the Zombie Run website for 1 year, Recognition on Zombie Run social media campaign, Logo on all Zombie Run posters, Logo on all Zombie Run t-shirts, Logo on all Zombie Run print ads, 8 complimentary event entries, Placement of promotional items in up to 1500 participant goody bags. Company provided banner placed during packet pick up and on race day, Placement of company logo on up to 1500 race bibs, Other Sponsorship Opportunities, Donation of Awards and Prizes, We will need organizations that can donate awards and prizes for the winners of the run and best costumes.
Any exposure is greatly appreciated. We want our event to become a Northern Michigan tradition and the more media exposure we can get the better! We are looking for media and public relations opportunities in radio, television, and print. Any other media suggestions or propositions are welcome.
Then all you need to do is fill out the Sponsorship Form. After you fill out the form you will be prompted to donate through PayPal, or you can mail a check payable to “TART Trails” to PO Box 252, Traverse City, MI 49685.
Current sponsors include the following; Tart Trails, Right Brain Brewery, Meijer, GoGo Squeez, KLT The Rock Station, Allen Kent Photography, Crawford Art & Design and Cone Drive. Thank you to Allen-Kent Photography for taking photos every year for us. You can find photos from this year and previous years below.
Have a bib number from any year? Search in the top right of the gallery on these links to find yourself!*. The official photo gallery for 2023 is available on our website and on our Facebook photo gallery. Results are competently timed by RF Timing and are found at this link; Zombie 5K Run Results 2023 .
Now we meet some of the runners, er I mean Zombies. I could not speak to every runner but following are some runners I talked with. Many of these runners are “winners” of the race, not necessarily, because they are the fastest runners, but because they are “winners” of the game we call “life”. They have beaten some of life’s challenges. Running and exercise are an important aspect of living a good life. We learn one of the important reasons for races such as the Vineyards at Sunrise is being a better person and surviving life’s challenges. In addition to Zombies. I met many supermen, witches and many other visitors from the dead. For example, our first “winner” is “which” Ellie Hovato, age 66, from Orange Beach, Alabama. I crossed the finish line ½ second ahead of Ellie, which proves mid-pack runners can have a fun competition. I chatted with Ellie for several minutes trying to discover a great story to share with you all when Ellie finally told me “the bigger story”. Ellie runs to reduce the effect of two back surgeries. Her first surgery was in her back on vertebrae L1 & L2, the second surgery was because of pain in the same area as my pain in vertebrae L4 & L5 which caused leg pain and leg tingling. Ellie says; “It makes the discomfort worse when you idly sit. You have to get up and move to relieve the discomfort.” Ellie was accompanied by hubby George. Another “winner” is Gary Buczkowski, age 67, from Williamsburg. Gary and I ran together for much of the race. Gary also has the same problem as I, a weak lower back causing pain in vertebrae L4 & L5. I suggested Gary pay a visit to my chiropractor, Dr. George Pluhar, who is also a naturalist, and does his diagnosis with Kinesiology, instead of dangerous X-rays and never uses shots. Gary also was born with a defective aorta valve which had to be replaced twice several years ago. In addition to running, Gary trained on cross county skies on a regular basis. Gary also suffered a serious issue with his lungs which filled up with liquid. Gary was accompanied by his sister, Mary Kay Brickman, age 62, Dan, age 62, and Eva Brickman of Elk Rapids and Lisa Corles, age 66. Sam Sampson, age 78, of Keewadin, owes his good health to exercise. Jim Graham, age 74, of Suttons Bay, is one of the area’s top runners. Jim suffered a serious accident. Jim was struck by a driver. He was out cold for the ambulance ride to the hospital and for several hours. He fractured both ankles and a lung filled with liquid. Jim broke his back in two places. He pushed a stick into his back. Needless to say, Jim has made a full recovery and wins many of the races he enters.
Mark Muniack, age 72, of Boyne City, was an age group winner last year and hoped to defend his title until a failed surgery on his back caused him to need a cane. Mark also suffered from tachycardia, his heartbeat was irregular. He tried to regulate his heart with blood pressure medication. His blood pressure was 160 and now is 140. Hopefully Mark will return for next year’s Zombie Run. Mark has run since his 20. He has a personal best marathon time of 3;27. Kelly Shirft, age 58, of Suttons Bay ran with Allison Shrift, age 31 and Cindy Johnson, age 30. Lisa Fitzgerald, age 44 recently relocated to Traverse City from Midland. Lisa suffers with lower back pain and is relieved from her pain with exercise. She uses core conditioning to bring her relief. If she does not exercise, she stiffens up. Lisa says: “Bodies in motion stay in motion.” Chiropractic helps her back. Joe Coleman, age 59, of Interlochen, often wins his age group in spite of the fact that Joe is suffering from painful plantar fasciitis and sciatica. Keep up the amazing results, Joe. Pat Kramer, is a top finisher in his age group despite the fact that Pat suffered a heart attack. Dave Christianson won my age group, 80+, again. Dick Naperala age 78. Ran pain free even though he was told to replace his knee by a doctor. Dick received a second opinion calling for physical therapy with relieved his pain and helped him avoid surgery which would have ended his successful running. Louie Rasho continues his winning running. Louie eats healthy and lives a healthy life.
We were pleased to see a Class of ’60, Traverse City Central classmate’s son, Eric Stehouwer, age 54, who often wins the costume contest. Eric was joined by Enan Scott. Eric’s dad, Bob, was my high school class’s star quarterback who helped us win the league championship. Ann Miller, age 55, a member of the Traverse City Track Club, lost 40 pounds. Congratulations to our “big Loser” of the race. Keep up the good work, Ann. Lisa Won, age 52, walked the course. Jake Mills, age 34 and Mercedes Lovano, age 32, ran effectively.
Race director Matt Ross and his Chief Zombie, Jennifer, hope you will join them for next year’s Zombie 5K Run. Remember to consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.
Mickey Fivenson, age 81, (a Traverse City native of Munson Hospital, class of ’42), lost over 100 pounds and has trained over 150,000 miles in more than 50 years of running. He completed 60 marathons (3:01 PR) and holds a marathon world record with his sons, Zack and Adam. Mickey is the former director of the National Cherry Festival Runs, ranked in the top 25 USA races. Mickey’s doctors credit running toward surviving several strokes. Mickey coordinates his Traverse City Central High School Class of ’60 reunion every 5 years (what fun). He is an ordained rabbi, an Advanced Scuba Diver and credits his running fitness and his scuba skills with surviving a fall through the ice in over 600’ of water in middle of West Grand Traverse Bay,,,,,, and saving his dog! A U of M graduate, like his kids, and former president of the Grand Traverse Area U of M club, (GO BLUE!!), he plays a mean blues harmonica globally and with area bands. He was awarded the Silver Beaver, scouting’s highest adult honor. His bride of 31 years, Dr. Sally Littleton, is a retired psychotherapist, provides private Reiki lessons and is a Tapping and Reiki instructor at Northwestern Michigan College and virtually on the web. If you would like Mickey to cover your race, if you need training tips, email mickey@telecomclassifiedads.com. Mickey Fivenson: MBA, Ph or Text 1-231-946-2195. Mickey finished the Zombie Run 2023 second in his age group, 80+.
Traverse City Runner 