Run away! Run away! Here come zombies and living spice racks!

Such ideas of the undead and human seasoning cabinets usually become the themes for costumes worn during the Run for Your Life 5K, put on by the WSU women’s crew team.

Team commodore Simone Parker, a junior majoring in psychology and human development, said because the crew team is a club team, it has to raise its own funding.

Sunday is the fifth year of the annual Halloween-themed fun run. Parker said in previous years she has seen zombies on the course, chasing other runners on occasion.

The 5K is a run and race open to adults and children. The run is timed, so those who decide to go all out can compete for a top-three finish.

“Some book it, and some walk it,” said team historian Katie Shadler, a sophomore studying marketing. “It’s cool because it’s on Dad’s Weekend.”

The crew team works to set up the event and also stands along the layout of the course to direct people down the right path. Some of the team members will also run the course.

The course begins at the Student Recreation Center and moves toward NE Terre View. Matt Shaw, assistant director for competitive sports at UREC and coordinator for the crew team, said the course is easy with some hills. It’s one of the things that gets positive response from participants.

Shaw said they’ve gotten lucky on weather in past years, but even if it rains, the event will not be cancelled. People on the eastern side of the state are pretty tough, he said, and they learn to bundle up and go on running.

“We’ll still go rain or shine,” he said. “If it’s lightning, that’s a different story.”

Most participants come in costume and all are encouraged to dress up. Parker said last year a couple girls were dressed as spice racks, carrying various spices in their shirts.

Shadler said a good amount of people dress up for the run, and people get very creative with their costumes. Characters include everything from bumblebees to pale, gory zombies.

“They go all out,” Shadler said. “It’s awesome that they put so much effort into it and then run a 5K.”

The money made from the event goes toward funding for the team. The funds go to operational costs such as traveling in or out of state, Parker said. Any money the team spends comes from money the team makes, dues from members, and some allocation from the university.

“The crew team put in a lot of work to run the event, and it’s a pretty big fundraiser for them,” Shaw said.

The Run for Your Life 5K begins at 9 a.m. Sunday starting at the Rec Center. Participants can register online or on the day of the run. Visit row.wsu.edu to register.