Outbreak Manila

Without exaggeration, this "Run" was beyond amazing. Once you see the first set of zombies, you'd instantly "get in the zone" and feel like it's a real zombie apocalypse mainly because the zombies looked real & they played their roles very well, moreover, the participants are all hyped up and screaming too. I've never imagined myself joining marathons, not even Fun Runs, but Outbreak Manila added an extra twist to the common running events by having (realistic) zombies blocking & chasing you and this time, even having the run held during the evening. 

Some of the zombies we managed to take photos of. See how realistic they are! They were also acting and making those silly zombie sounds. Haha! If it wasn't raining, I would have taken a dozen more photos of various zombies dressed in all sorts of costumes!

This is just the second time that this one of its kind event has been done in Manila. But I'd have to say that this version suits me better (First version was held in Nuvali during day time) because I'm not exactly fond of running, most especially if it's under the scorching heat of the sun. We're probably fortunate (or not) that it also rained during our wave, adding more fun to the already enjoyable run. Downside of this though is, less pictures! 

We just had an epic fail trying to run as a group. Originally, we were supposed to be in the same wave with my friends. However, Leo and I arrived exactly at 8:50PM, the time our wave is supposed to start the race. To  add more stress to our delayed arrival, our race bibs were with our friends, who already went ahead. After going around a couple of times (For the lack of signages!), we finally managed to get in, but Leo & I ended up running with a different wave. 


Moving on, there are 2 small tents for registration purposes and for getting your "lives." We had a hard time looking for the starting line due to lack of signages. The jump off point / registration area was filled with numerous sponsors & participants alike. The run starts at a huge tent which serves as the holding area for gathering the wave members and sponsors giving out freebies.


As the host announced that we could now "run for our lives," everyone was so enthusiastic & hyped up that it's infectious. Haha! We then saw the first set of zombies who successfully warmed us up and got us in the zone;-) We then realized that if you're running with a huge group or with anyone in that matter, it's probably best to talk among yourselves to just meet up right after passing through a set of zombies. Because once the zombies try to chase after you, the only thing you'll think of is running away from them without getting caught, regardless of who you're with! hahaha


The 5-Kilometer track was infested with zombies who usually came in groups of 3 or more for the difficult part. If you were a legit runner, you surely can outrun all the zombies. But for people like me who joined for the art of enjoying a zombie run, you wouldn't get out alive with 3 lives (considering you're wearing the flags in the proper manner). Because apart from zombies playing "patintero" with you in the open road, there are a few obstacles (as seen in the next photos) and zombies await you right after the obstacles. I wasn't able to take a picture of the first obstacle though, which was mainly huge garters because we were still attempting to run from the zombies! haha. 

This is a set of chimes, we were trying to wait for more participants before passing through this because there was a number of zombies waiting ahead. As participants scram through this, it made loud & nice chime sounds.

While we were waiting for more participants to join us, before passing through this, I was able to take a snapshot of this little zombie girl:) Kudos to their make up artists! Despite the strong rain throughout the run, their make up was still there.

 Zombies waiting..

 Please bear with my extremely blurred photos. As I've said, it was raining & dark when we ran:)

 Also, they brilliantly scattered buses, jeeps and cars at one leg of the race, making it easier for zombies to catch you. Here's a group of zombie kids waiting for more runners to scare. :) I also can recall seeing a little zombie kid wearing CSA uniform! Too bad I wasn't able to take a photo because he tried to snatch one of my lives! haha

If you've seen "The Walking Dead" series, some parts of the race looked like it because of the vehicles scattered around.

Here's another obstacle. A small maze of plywood, looking exactly alike in every turn. We managed by following the people who tried to figure their way out. Haha!

The zombies were good. Because despite the fact of us not having any more "lives" (red flags), they still try to scare you off with their zombie sounds and zombie actions. I had a good number of times when I didn't intend to scream, but I still did. haha!

Participants were also game! Here's one who dressed up as a dalmatian! Along the way, I saw Dora the Explorer, Iron man, and Spider man too, plus a lot of people not exactly in running gear. It felt like Halloween!

It wasn't smart of me to carry a pouch because it rained hard and I was drenching wet. But it came in handy for car keys, camera, etc. There wasn't a place for lockers, so it's best to leave everything inside the car and just bring the essentials.

Met up with the girls at High street for late dinner and coffee. I'm so glad we joined Outbreak! It's a very nice experience for first timers like me, and surely, if we had the chance to join the next, I am so joining!:)

The shirts which came along with the race kit were nice! I like the design and the fabric altogether:) However, to make sure that the participants will join the run, the shirts could be claimed after the run. Thou shall not lose the race bibs!It was indeed a night to remember! Here's a snapshot of our cute trusty ride:) Looking forward to more Outbreak Manila fun:)

July 28 2012