The undead rose again in Connor Park last weekend, proving that nothing brings people together — living or otherwise — quite like a good chase.

The Association communautaire fransaskoise de Moose Jaw (ACFMJ) hosted its annual Zombie Run on Oct. 4, transforming the park into a spirited bilingual battleground where English- and French-speaking residents ran side-by-side to celebrate inclusion — and survive the zombie horde, of course.

“The Zombie Run is a bilingual event that we organize every year in October,” said Christian Poumeni, community development officer with ACFMJ. “The idea is to maintain inclusion between the French community and English-speaking community with the Zombie Run, which is an activity of fun and happiness for the community.”

Participants chose their side: human or zombie. Humans sprinted through a two-kilometre course clutching their “life flags,” while zombies lurched, moaned, and made chase, determined to “arrest” anyone who wasn’t quick enough to escape. By the finish line, a handful of lucky survivors remained to claim bragging rights for another year.

Poumeni said he was happy with the turnout, which saw about 14 participants in total, including five zombies and nine human runners. Despite a small group the atmosphere was lively.

Now in its eighth year, the Zombie Run has firmly cemented itself as a fall tradition in Moose Jaw. The enduring popularity of the run comes from its playful blend of Halloween-inspired theatrics and a mission to strengthen the community.

Each October, ACFMJ brings residents together through the activity, with a reminder that language need not divide us when there’s fun and adventure — and celebratory poutine afterwards — to share.

Poumeni wanted to thank the community partners who helped make the Zombie Run possible, including Safeway, Shoppers Drug Mart, Domino’s Pizza, École Ducharme, Communauté Francophone Accueillante (CFA) de Moose Jaw-Gravelbourg, and the Francophone Immigration Network of Saskatchewan (RIF-SK).

Before returning to his post, Poumeni added one further acknowledgement to residents of Moose Jaw.

“We want to thank the Moose Jaw Express for coming to cover our activity, and also the community of Moose Jaw for maintaining (a strong culture of) inclusion, as you have seen here today,” he said.

The Zombie Run is set to return to Connor Park in the fall of 2026 with further details to follow.

– Aaron Walker,

Moose Jaw Express