Several "repeat customers" competed in the Great Urban Race series last year. The winner of the Chicago race flew to Denver to compete in that city; one woman from San Diego flew to San Francisco to compete there.
People are even using the Great Urban Race as a destination, not just a pit stop. "I've been getting emails over the last couple months from people who plan to travel around the country to do a lot of races because they think it's a great way to see different cities," comments Reynolds.
Reynolds and his crew create the races so that teams can easily finish in two to five hours, but the pace that each team takes can vary. While the average team covers about six miles on foot during the race, that mileage is spread out over a few hours.
The difference between this race and an average road race is that teams are running from point-to-point faster than you would in a road race of that distance. Most top-half race finishers look like they've just run a 5K or 10K race, said Reynolds.
"We also have teams walk the whole race because they're just looking to have fun for the day." Some teams even begin their celebrations before crossing the finish line, and detour to different inviting bars along the course.
The best finish time was 1:39 in the Denver race; the record time for beating the field was 30 minutes by a father/daughter team in Cincinnati. Several races have been close, with teams crossing the finish line within five to ten minutes of each other.
"In Chicago, there was a woman who was five months pregnant and walked the whole race," said Reynolds. "She finished in the top half of the race because she routed her course well. Anything can happen!" Reynolds does, however, suspect much more heated and competitive field this year, especially with that $10,000 grand prize at stake.
An Adventure in Fun
The organizers of the Great Urban Race have created a unique and fun urban adventure series that challenges your organizational, tactical, and road running skills--all while maintaining a great sense of humor.
Whether you want to race around a nearby city, run your hometown, or travel to a new U.S. city to test your adventure race skills, the Great Urban Race provides an excellent chance to get out there and have some fun! And you can add a new and different race to your running/event resume.