Great Urban Race is a wild urban adventure. Teams solve twelve clues and complete exciting mental and physical challenges while discovering the city in a fresh way!

The price varies by city. Check your city's registration page for further details!

• A fun adventure!
• T-shirt
• Clue sheet
• Race number
• National Championship Qualifier medals for the Top 25 teams
• Post-race refreshments (fruit, water, granola bars)

National Championship Qualifier medals (Top 25 teams)

1st Place: $300 and free Championship entry

2nd Place:  $200 and free Championship entry

3rd Place:  $100 and free Championship entry

Best Costume:  Trophy, sashes and bragging rights!

Top Family Team:  Trophy and bragging rights!

- Chance at $10,000 in the National Championship

- Possible sponsor goodies, depending on your city

We expect the size of the races in 2011 to vary from 150 teams to 700 teams, depending on the city.

Finish among the Top 25 teams at any race in 2011.

Nope! Think on your feet, be ready for anything and you'll have a shot to win.   Several teams qualified for the 2010 National Championship in cities in which they didn't live.

Definitely!   Last year, teams competed in as many as five cities.

Teams can go at their own pace and should be able to complete the course.  That said, if your team is trying to win you can expect to finish ready for lots of water and a nap!

Yep!  You will electronically sign one during online registration and then sign another one by hand at packet pick-up the morning of the race. You can also print out the waiver to sign and initial before the race. Click below to download!

GUR Participant Waiver

Yes, every person must compete in a team of two, unless you are part of the Family Division.

The Family Division is reserved for teams with at least one racer under the age of 18.   Family teams are not required to be blood relatives.

The winning Family Division team will receive an award at each local race.

The Great Urban Race is difficult to complete and primarily designed for adults, so if there are young participants they may need assistance from an older team member. An eleven-year-old and his father did, however, finish 16th in the 2008 National Championship.

Teams in the Family Division may compete on two, three or four-person teams.

Should a team in the Family Division finish among the Top 25 at a local race, they will qualify for the National Championship, but only two teammates may compete in the National Championship.

Absolutely.  You must sign up as two-person teams, but feel free to buddy up with other teams if you're looking to have fun with a group of friends. Each team must complete their own challenges and each receive the required proof of completion per team.

Be alive, human and 14 or older (or accompanied by an adult) and you qualify.   Any participant under 18 must have a parent or guardian sign a waiver.

Great Urban Race can only go to a limited number of cities each year.   We are looking to expand in the upcoming years and any suggestions of cities to add are welcome!

E-mail us at sponsorship@redfrogevents.com.

We are always looking for new and creative ways to partner with other companies and brands. There are many opportunities to establish a mutually beneficial marketing relationship. If you're interested in partnering with us, please email partnership@redfrogevents.com for more information!

Our office is located at 320 Ohio Street Suite 500 Chicago, IL 60654.

Thank you!  We'd love for you to join us. Email us at volunteer@redfrogevents.com for more information.

Shout to us here

Each team will be given an envelope that contains twelve clues ranging in difficulty at the start of the race.

The clue sheet will contain a mixture of clues – some physical and some mental.

During the race teams will have the option to skip one clue.

Some races contain one or more Detours, which is a choice between two checkpoints.  Choose the one you think will be easier or faster (or more fun)!

There may be a clue that is mandatory.   Failure to complete a mandatory clue will result in disqualification.   Teams will not have the option to skip a mandatory clue.

The course is designed so the winners should finish in 1.5 - 3 hours, the majority in 3 - 4 hours, and the race course is shut down after 5 hours.  Every city is unique.

The distance of the race depends on the route you take. Think 4-8 miles on your feet or by transit, maybe less, maybe more. It's up to you and depends on the route you choose!

You will be presented with a variety of challenging and unique tasks! Below are basic descriptions of clues you may encounter. Check out the Clues (hyperlink) page for specific examples!

Physical Challenges:   Feed your teammate some tasty food, do something daring, or compete in a game.   Mazes, Segways, Tae Kwon Do lessons, bicycle races, holding huge fish, canoeing and many other activities were used during the 2009 (prior seasons?) season.

Puzzles:   Think anagrams, word searches, cryptograms and crosswords.

Brain Teasers:  Riddles or tests to tease your brain.

Challenges: Interaction with the general public.

Some clues will require finding obscure facts. It will be beneficial to have access to the Internet or one or more people available to assist you on the Internet.

Laptops, a GPS, cellular phones, Internet-enabled devices, or other devices approved by Great Urban Race staff are allowed.

Ground Support (GS)

Teams can use a GS team along the course, as long as they follow the below rules:

• GS CAN NOT complete any of the challenges at clue locations or help teams while at the location
• GS can help teams find where a clue location is along the course
• GS can drop off a "scavenger item" to teams along the course

Scavenger Item (noun): An item found along the GUR race course that is not part of an exact clue location, but can be picked up at multiple locations around the city. (i.e. "Return to the finish line with a takeout menu that has egg rolls listed as an item" or "Return to the finish line with a post card with a boat on it") 

Teams may only travel by foot or public transit. This includes buses, trains, subways, ferries and public trolleys.

Teams may not use any form of private transportation or accept any rides. This includes taxis, private cars, motorcycles, in-line skates, escorts, pedicabs, bicycles, horses or any other form of private transportation.

Any teams caught using private transportation will be disqualified.

• For every incorrect or incomplete clue, a 30 minute penalty will be added to the team's finish time. You must have 11 complete and correct clues to avoid a penalty.
• Once a team crosses the finish line, teams will not have the option of returning to properly complete any incomplete or incorrect clue.
• It is the team's responsibility to bring to the finish line all necessary proof of completion as specified on the clue sheet.

If more than one team is present at a challenge location at the same time, the teams will complete the challenge in the order in which they arrived. GUR staff reserves the right to delay a team until the previous team has completed the challenge before allowing the next team to begin.

During the race teams MAY NOT engage in unsportsmanlike or illegal conduct. Verbal or physical aggression towards the public, local officials, other participants or GUR staff, acts of vandalism, theft or harassment may result in disqualification from the race, at the discretion of GUR staff.

GUR staff reserves the right to disqualify any participant or team for any reason at any time upon their discretion.

In the event of physical injury, sickness, accident or any other incident which may bring into question an individual's ability to safely complete the race, GUR staff may disqualify the team.

No registration refunds will be given for any reason.

During the race every team MUST:

• Obey all local laws, regulations, traffic laws. Participants are solely responsible for their actions and the consequences of those actions during The Great Urban Race.
• Wear the official bib number at all times, in such a way that it is clearly visible.
• Comply with the directions of GUR staff, local authorities and property and/or venue owners and managers.

You should receive a confirmation e-mail immediately from the registration site.  About one month before the race, you'll receive an e-mail from the GUR staff with the final details.  You'll also receive two more e-mails prior to the race.  You will not receive anything in the mail.  Your packet will be available at packet pick-up the morning of the race which will be organized alphabetically by team name. There you will receive your t-shirts and bib numbers.  Everyone will receive their clues at 12:00pm the day of the race immediately following the rules and announcements. It's a big time saver to print off the waiver and come with it initialed and signed, so it is ready to go!  This will save you and everyone else a lot of time waiting in line.  For our super-prepared racers, here is the waiver to download, read, print, initial and sign:

GUR Participant Waiver

We're unable to offer any refunds for any reason, but you have the option to transfer your registration to a different person or transfer your registration to a different race in 2011.   To switch your registration shoot us a message here! Please send us your confirmation number, city, the name of the original teammate(s) and the new teammate's name, email address and t-shirt size.   Teams may not transfer registration to the National Championship race and only to a race in the current year.

Each city varies.  Check your city's registration page for details.

You should plan on arriving between 30-60 minutes prior to the start of the race!

Packet pick-up is alphabetical by team name. You must have a completed waiver covering all teammates and provide your team name to GUR staff. NOTE: If your team name starts with "the" or "team" your packet will be alphabetized by the next letter. For example, "The Blue Barricudas" would be under "B."

We are unable to hold any items during the race. You must pick-up your t-shirt and all materials prior to the start of the race.

All the teams will get their clues at the same time immediately following the announcements at noon.

The course is designed so the winners should finish in 1.5 - 3 hours, the majority in 3 - 4 hours, and the race course is shut down after 5 hours.  Every city is unique.

The distance of the race depends on the route you take. Think six miles on your feet, maybe less, maybe more – it's up to you and depends on the route you choose.

Teammates must wear matching uniforms during the race (the provided GUR t-shirts qualify).  This may include "themed" costumes such as Batman and Robin—they do not have to be exactly matching.

Dress for the elements and check the weather in your area prior to the race. You'll be on your feet for the day, so comfortable shoes are recommended!

Rain or shine, the race will go on!

Required:

• A fun attitude and a sense of humor!
• Digital camera
• Identification
• Matching uniforms (provided race t-shirts qualify)
• Ten dollars or more in cash

It's a great time saver to print off the waiver and come with it initialed and printed, ready to go!  This will save you and everyone else a lot of time waiting in line.  For our super-prepared racers, here is the waiver to download, read, print, initial and sign:

GUR Participant Waiver

Optional:

• Cell phone
• Water / snacks
• Backpack
• GPS
• Maps
• Guidebooks
• Laptop
• Pen and paper

You are encouraged to bring any maps or GPS devices you'd like, but navigating your city is part of the fun, so we do not provide maps of any kind.

This is a "BYODC" event—Bring Your Own Digital Camera.  Teams must use one to take a picture to complete many of the clues.

Ask family and friends to borrow theirs—odds are, you know somebody who has one.  Otherwise, a camera phone would be acceptable.  Just as long as the GUR staff can clearly see the teammates and all necessary details in the pictures, a camera phone would be acceptable.

Possibly, but you won't have to eat large quantities of food or gross food.  Think slices of pizza, cupcakes or the like.  If there is a challenge involving food, remember that you have the option of skipping one clue!

Depending on the city, there might be some local coverage of the event.

Don't give up!  Keep looking, ask for help and get creative!

A team's time will be recorded when all teammates have crossed the finish line.

We will announce the Top 25 teams and all other awards at the awards ceremony shortly after the race ends. All finishing times (after adjusting for penalties) will be posted on the website by Tuesday following the race.