On Saturday August 24, 2013, the city of Chicago erupted in contestants taking subways and Pace buses all over the city in an adventure that occurs once a year. The City Chase is an annual event where contestants compete in activities similar to that of the show The Amazing Race. In it, contestants in teams of two must complete 10 out of 25 events during the day. They are given a sheet of paper with clues as to where the events are and a map of the city to help guide them. It’s up to the contestants to find their own way to each station by walking, running, or using local public transportation.
Aside from being a vigorous challenge, the City Chase is a way for fundraising. The boys and girls cross country teams were both invited to aid some of the stations, and will be paid $100 per person that came and helped. RB ended up sending 28 people to Chicago for this unforgettable race.
Of the 25 stations operating in the blistering heat, the cross country teams operated four: Visigoth, Paddle Boarding, Invisible Hockey, and Insect Hunt. During these events the boys and girls cross country teams had worked tirelessly through the day. One station had as many as 500 contestants while another had as few as 120, but no matter how many or few contestants had shown up at the stations, they all worked effortlessly to keep the event running smoothly and efficiently.
Throughout the race contestants were talking about hardships at other stations, such as crawling through a small pipe filled with insects with the goal of grabbing coins. In another, one contestant was blindfolded and had to be verbally guided by their partner in between a few cones while guiding a hockey puck, then shoot and score on a goalie. There was a wide variety of challenges, none of them seemed anything like any others and they all appeared to have their own twist to make the event even more challenging to contestants.
Not all of the contestants were in the race for the grand prize. Most contestants that I spoke to said that it was their first or second year doing it, and they loved the seeming randomness of the events. Not all of the people came from Chicago though, many had come from suburbs like Aurora, North Riverside, Berwyn, Riverside, and many more. One female contestant who lives in England had been visiting her friend in Chicago and decided to join hundreds of others in an unique event.
