You Asked: Alternative Races

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:00:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering.

Hi Fit,
The Olympics inspired me to get out and race, but I am looking for something more fun than just running. I would like to do some kind of obstacle race or fitness challenge. I guess I am looking for the thrill of adventure with a fitness element. Can you help me find a race?
Thanks,
- East Coast Adventure Gal

Wow! Sounds like you are looking for something that is a cross between parkour and an open water swim. The craziest race I could find was the Nettle Warrior Tough Guy race in the UK with obstacles like burning bales of hay, electric fences, and icy streams. Nettle Warrior also has the Guy Gorilla race on Feb. 1, 2009, but sounds like you want some stateside options, so read more.

For serious fitness competition, there is the Navy Seal Fitness Challenge. The event combines a 500-yard swim, calisthenics (read: pull-ups and more!), plus a 1.5-mile run. You can participate in Chicago, San Antonio, LA, and Dearborn, MI.
The Urban Dare is part photo treasure hunt, part trivia, and part dares. The dares are mental or physical challenges such as climbing a wall, shooting a few baskets, solving a riddle, or eating something, but nothing slimy like you see on Fear Factor.
Urbanathlon is sponsored by Men's Health in Chicago on Oct. 18 as well as NYC on Sept. 27 (but this date is already sold out), and it is not just for the dudes. The entrance fee is $90, but you get a month's free membership to Crunch gym for training. This race is an urban obstacle course that uses features of the city to create challenges.
Rat Races are urban adventure challenges that take place all over the UK. Participants run, mountain bike, and kayak as they navigate a course revealed hours before the race begins. These could be an excuse to travel to the other side of the Atlantic without having to endure the downright craziness of the the Tough Guy races I mentioned above.
City Chase is an urban adventure laced with challenges designed to test not only your physical abilities, but your mental and spiritual ones as well. It is part obstacle course, and part scavenger hunt.

Hope you can fit one of these races into your schedule. If any of you have an "alternative race" to recommend, please share the details in the comments section below.

Source

I Double Dog Dare You: Urban Dare

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:30:00 -0700

Do you dream of being on The Amazing Race but CBS hasn't come a calling?

Here's your chance... well, sort of. Urban Dare is the team race that’s part photo hunt, part trivia and part dares. Teams of 2 work together to solve clues to find checkpoints throughout the city. To move on they must take photos or perform dares to earn passport stamps. Each team must determine their own route to the checkpoints. Most teams will cover about 5 to 7 miles and finish in about 3 or 4 hours. The Urban Dare challenge is to be the first team to cross the finish line after successfully completing checkpoint dares and getting required photos. Be sure to bring your digital camera as some of the checkpoints require proof that you were actually there!

Urban Dare is $90 for a two person team. Each entrant must wear their Urban Dare t-shirt during the race. The first one is on April 21st in Washington, DC and the last one is December 1st in San Antonio, TX. The find out more, to register and to see if/when an Urban Dare is going to be in your city, go to UrbanDare.com.