A new horror-themed fun run will take over Lake Burley Griffin this weekend - just weeks out from Halloween - with the five-kilometre course having different themed "scare stations", from spiders and zombies to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, to ensure every phobia is catered for.

If you have a favourite (or least-favourite) horror character, chances are it will be at Running Scared.

"Runners can anticipate being genuinely scared," TSE Group chief executive Paul Kind, the organiser of Running Scared, says.

"It's fun, but it's also designed to be frightening ... given that it's running along the lake shore at night.

"I think one of the important things for participants is that they come dressed as well.

"We want every participant to come in their own interpretation of horror.

"We will be providing zombie runners and classic horror characters along the route, but there's also the fun of participating in this race with your friends dressed in Halloween theme."

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It seems like a funny thing for someone to want to genuinely scare people - albeit consenting people - and while Kind himself is not a huge horror fan, he says Running Scared came about because he noticed how horror and Halloween have increased in popularity in recent years.

"I think the month of October in Australia is very different to what it was probably five years ago, and more and more there is this embracing of the horror in that month," he says.

"I think there's something like five or six new horror movies released this month alone and so what we were looking for was an interactive, participation event that was built around the horror/Halloween theme that we've seen rise in popularity in recent years."

While having some of horror's most iconic characters chasing you might encourage you to finally shave some time off of your personal best, Kind says this is not a timed running event.

The idea is for runners to interact with the characters and immerse themselves in this real-life horror film.

"Some of the characters are designed to stop and take a selfie with, and others are designed to chase after you," Kind says.

"It's a combination of stopping to enjoy and feeling genuinely scared.

"I think while there is a large number of runners, we're sending people out in waves, so at any one time, you will be one of a few not one of many. That will allow you to get up close and personal with some of these characters."