Comfortably Numb: A Retrospective Review of Zombies, Run!
Imagine: you are running in the middle of a forest, a red beacon in the distance, as a voice in your earbud shouts, “Run on home, Runner Five, if you can.” That scenario, as well as nearly limitless other stories, are available now, thanks to Adrian Hon, Naomi Alderman, Matt Weiteska, and the rest of the Six to Start team that created the ZRX App. Formally Zombies, Run. It was kickstarted as a fun way to instill motivation for running in a zombie apocalypse. It has morphed into a world-renowned fitness app that encompasses not only zombies but Marvel superheroes and other stories to help motivate anyone into a fitness lifestyle. Through an audio journey with twists, mystery, and ominous sounds, anyone can go on a virtual adventure, no matter where they are running or walking in the real world.
The smartphone app has been around since March of 2012, kickstarted in 2011, and continues to this day. While I did not have the foresight to help their Kickstarter, I did purchase the app during its opening week for $8. For those that do not remember, an $8 app was rare, especially for a newly created, fitness smartphone app. Over the years, Six to Start has changed its pricing model to align with the times; currently, they have yearly and monthly subscriptions that give you access to their 500+ missions, virtual races, training plans for marathons or half-marathons, bodyweight fitness routines, and more. In 2016, Adrian Hon, one of the co-creators, wrote an article describing the struggles and successes of creating their monetization strategy.
Naomi Alderman and Matt Weiteska, the lead writers, wanted to write the story in the second person, allowing anyone to feel like they are a part of the apocalypse. A second-person story, while difficult to write, is incredibly powerful at instilling immersion. However, the story tends to continue to move forward in one direction, with limited opportunities for user choices. But the incredible writing prowess of the team has created stories that have transcended over thirteen years, spanning not only the zombie genre but science fiction, fantasy, and history.
For the main storyline, each player is designated as “Runner Five”, a gender and age-agnostic person that falls out of the sky from a helicopter accident on their way to Abel Township in England. Abel Township, as we get to know throughout the story, is a base camp during the beginning stages of an apocalyptic event that is our vantage point into this world. The journey that the characters will embark on will test their physical and mental limits, and the emotional storyline will tug on our heartstrings while exercising.
Considering the player is usually expected to be performing an activity, like running or walking, the writers added short breaks in between story clips, allowing musical interludes to extend a mission. It has spawned countless music-inspired mission titles as well as “radio mode”. Radio Mode is a feature that emulates radio banter in their fictional world as well as provides a fun way to “announce” songs from your playlist. Though the rotating casts of hosts are usually portraying witty, radio banter, there grew a fandom surrounding Jack and Euguene, as my journey running through their virtual race series can attest. The writers have also integrated “call-in” submissions from real people over the years, where Jack and Euguene, or other radio hosts, play a recording from someone. I was incredibly lucky to be part of the radio broadcasts in season 3. (My voice can be heard following another fan asking for vegemite).
One of the endearing and inspiring aspects of the 11-season-long storyline, for me, is the LGBTQIA+ representation throughout, especially the main characters. Whether gay radio hosts or lesbian scientists and doctors, many characters span the spectrum of sexual identities, genders, and cultures. At the time in 2012, different aspects of sexual identity were considered taboo but slowly progressed into the mainstream. The fact that a fitness-inspired, storytelling app was courageous enough to showcase underrepresented individuals speaks to the compassion of everyone involved.
The compelling storylines and characters are not the only reason this app has become popular. To imbue a sense of danger while listening, the app has “Zombie Chases”. It utilizes the GPS technology in smartphones to track a user’s speed and create random speed burst moments, simulating a zombie chasing our main character during the story. The gamification of exercise is not just limited to speed work; it has virtual supplies, collected while listening to a mission. There is a base builder aspect of the game that allows users to feel more connected with Abel Township, using the supplies collected to plan, build, and expand the world. Each update and season over the years has added hundreds of new buildings and elements that we can add to our virtual towns.
While the app may feel like a single-player adventure, I have met and talked with so many fans over the years online and offline, including meeting a wonderful person from Australia. (Hi Skye!) The community that has sprung around it is amazing! So much so that the creators have created and shared ways for us to connect, along with countless user-created groups. Back in 2015, the creators, based in London, England, traveled to New York City and held their first fan meetup across the Atlantic. While only a small portion of their team attended, it brought some fans nearby to giddily chat about the story thus far and our fitness goals in the real world. There is also a sprawling art community that has blossomed; something that the creators enthusiastically share on their blog.
The company expanded its capabilities and stories over the years, from spy thrillers to space-themed bodyweight fitness to a board game. They continued to push boundaries and ideas for ways to inspire fitness or expand the stories into different interactive mediums, even creating a Google Glass version (though that has since been shut down). When they announced the introduction of a Marvel version of their app a couple of years ago, it spawned a new string of missions and storylines, including a 5K training story with Thor and Loki. Things were looking up, until the devasting news that led to uncertainty about the future of Six to Start and the many storylines yet to be concluded.
As of right now, Six to Start is pausing new missions but the app is still usable. I hope that their parent company, OliveX, can find a buyer for Six to Start to ensure that these stories continue. But if not, the past 13 years have been phenomenally uplifting, pushing my exercise routines to new heights and allowing me to finish eight marathons, countless half-marathons, and many shorter races. It also has given me many experiences with so many lovely folks throughout the world, connecting about our mutual love of this app.
I would like to end this review with a wonderful quote, written by Matt Weiteska through the voice of Jack played by Rhys Jennings. “The world has changed. I feel it in the air; I hear it in the trees. Much that once was is gone and those that live carry the burden of remembering it. Such a burden is a heavy thing for most folk to bear; but even in the darkest of times, hope and strength can still be found in the bonds between those that endure.”
Until next time, stay safe out there, Runner Five!
