10 Themed Races to Make Getting In Shape Fun

Fun runs to make racing enjoyable

Exercise doesn’t have to be boring – at least that’s the theory behind the plethora of fun runs popping up across the country. Attracting runners with light-hearted themes, many of these promise participants a good time with a good dose of exercise. So whether you prefer being chased by zombies or dancing away a 5k, here are 10 runs to get you off the couch and back in shape.


Run For Your Lives

Started by two Walking Dead fans, Run For Your Lives is a 5,000 meter course featur- ing obstacles, mud and–yes–zombies. Runners start the race with a flag football belt and three flags, and over the length of the run, zombies attempt to snatch the flags and deplete runners’“health.”The end of the race promises one of two medals – one for survivors and another for those who became infected. The race takes place in “infected” states across the U.S. with another course set in Canada this year.


The Color Run

The Color Run, which bills itself as “the happiest 5k on the planet,” splatters runners with different hues at each kilometer mark to make the course as colorful, and fun, as possible. Runners start the race with white shirts and race through clouds of colored powder along the way. Since it’s not as competitive as more traditional races, it tends to attract people looking for a fun time over a fast finish. “You just have to be able to go and accomplish it and have some fun,” says Janet Hamilton, an exercise physiologist with Running Strong.


5k Foam Festival

More than just a mud run, foam is scattered along this course, filling bounce houses and slathered on slides. “I think the biggest thing is for people to realize that these events need to be fun,” Hamilton says. And without any means of timing participants, the “race aspect” is eliminated, leaving participants free to simply enjoy the foam and mud, according to 5k Foam Fest spokeswoman Kara Vincent.


LivingSocial's 5k Dance Party

“With the emergence of electronic dance music and the popularity of 5ks, we thought it was time to take a fun and interactive glow-in-the-dark run on a nationwide tour,” says LivingSocial spokeswoman Elizabeth Hebda. Runners or dancers in this 5k need only wear black at the starting line – glowsticks and music will be provided. Waiting at the end of the course is a dance party for all participants, and tickets are available for spectators at specified locations.


Hero Rush

Hero Rush provides a four-mile course for runners who want to live out their childhood dream of being a firefighter. The race, which was created by firefighters and features firefighter-inspired obstacles – from sliding down poles to performing CPR on dummies – benefits charities like the National Firefighters Endowment.




Warrior Dash

This race boasts a course littered with 12 obstacles that force runners over fire, under logs and through mud – with the promise of a fuzzy Viking hat at the finish. Fuzzy hats aside, Hamilton cautions participants in races like these to take safety seriously. “There’s certainly some value to be had from being competitive and pushing yourself, but ultimately you’re doing this for the adventure and for the fun, and keep that in perspective,” she says


National Park Half Marathon

The inaugural race for this series took place in March outside Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah. Other races planned for this year are near Rocky Mountain National Park and Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which spans the border between Utah and Arizona. A Grand Canyon race is scheduled for 2014. These 13.1-mile runs are “cup-free,” and runners should come with their own hydration systems or use one of the provided hydration pouches.


Superhero Half Marathon

Ever wanted to run with Superman or Wonder Woman? Here’s your chance. This half-marathon race starts in Morris, N.J., and lets runners dress the part of their favorite superhero. And with a relay option, super teams are welcome as well – something that can make races like this more attractive. “I think a lot of it is just kind of the social aspect of you and your buddies going out and doing something that you never thought in your wildest dreams you could do,” Hamilton says.


runDisney Series

Runners can jog alongside their favorite animated characters at Disneyland and Disney World. The events include a variety of distances, from the diaper dash – a short crawling race for toddlers younger than a year old – at Disneyland, to a 5k family run in both parks, to the Disney World full marathon.





Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series

For the music junkie with an endorphin addiction, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series delivers. The race features a different band every mile, to help “celebrate the run and not just the finish,” according to the race’s website. Celebrating doesn’t end with the run, however – the finish line promises a post-race concert. And with a variety of distances and locations across the U.S. and internationally, getting into the marathon groove could be easier than ever.