Chiditarod: Race the Winter Blues Away
For the past few Marches, a strange group of people have run rampant in Chicago’s streets wearing silly costumes and pushing shopping carts in name of the Chiditarod. During the Chiditarod, over 120 teams will compete on March 5th, 2011 for prizes and acclaim in what’s referred to as the urban Idiotarod race.
Alaska has their dog sled race called the Iditarod, where humans and dogs battle the elements, but the big city also has their own brand of inclement weather, potholes and pedestrians. Inspired by the NYC and San Francisco urban races and now in several more cities throughout the U.S and Canada, Chicago decided to put on their own annual race occurring every March to kill winter boredom. In its sixth year, the Chiditarod has grown in scope with last year hosting over 120 teams and over 600 racers.
During an amalgam of a food drive, pub crawl and a costumed race, teams of five people must come up with a team name, theme and register in advance. The more creative the team, the better. Teams in the past have resorted to pop culture references, from dressing up as cast members from films to arriving as superheroes. After a concept’s been pinned down, the team must allocate a shopping cart (dropping a $50 deposit to assure it will be returned), then decorate it according to the theme.
The race begins at high noon in an undisclosed location and the course of the race will only be revealed that afternoon. Throughout the long race, checkpoints, a.k.a watering holes typically located in Wicker Park, will be designated for teams to rehydrate with booze before heading out again. Teams can engage in friendly sabotage to their competitors but must abide by the rules, such as doing nothing illegal.
Each team is required to carry at least 42 pounds of food with them, which will be donated to The Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation. Last year, over 14,000 pounds of food was collected. At the end of the race, prizes and awards will be given to the teams who exhibited the best and worst aspects of the race.
HelloChicagoTip: The starting point won't be announced until before the race but last year it was at Wolcott and Hubbard. Rules of the race include four members pulling the cart with ropes and one member "mushing" behind, so choose teammates that are up to the challenge.
Posted on Feb 6, 2011 by Garin Pirnia
