SOMETHING wicked this way comes in October....when blood-thirsty zombies will be hunting down runners through the forest in Rawtenstall.

Dozens of the undead are set to be pursued by soldiers across a 5k obstacle course starting at Marl Pits Leisure Centre on Saturday, October 25.

I Love Rossendale, a social enterprise that aims to bring tourism to the Valley, is seeking hundreds of people to take part in its Run of the Living Dead in the hopes of a making a dance routine to the Michael Jackson song Thriller. The team hope the video will go viral and that people will raise sponsorship for Ross-endale Hospice.

Organiser Andrew Thomas said the fun run, from 9am to 10pm, which will also feature scary-themed food, drink, and a DJ, was inspired by his love of horror films and video games.

He said: “Rossendale is the perfect place to hold it because of the open spaces and claustrophobic forested areas, especially in and around Marl Pits. It will be a spectacular and spooky obstacle course.

“Even the buildings in the Valley look gothic. So it will be scary in the day, but with people dressed as zombies and soldiers and the night-time run, we are hoping to make Rossendale the home of the most unique zombie runs in the UK.

“We’re even hoping to have a few loose zombies in Rawtenstall, walking the streets, and will have actors taking part too. It should be wonderfully gruesome.”

To get involved, register online go to the website at www.runofthelivingdead.co.uk. To keep up to date with the plans, visit www.facebook.com/pages/Run-of-the-Living-Dead.