The Chiditarod is Chicago's very own most important shopping cart race in the universe. The Iditarod is the famous long-distance race in which yelping dogs tow a sled across Alaska. Chiditarod is pretty much the same thing, except that instead of dogs, it's people; instead of sleds, it's shopping carts; and instead of Alaska, it's Chicago. Chiditarod is a one-of-a-kind event dedicated to self-expression, reclaiming our city for freaks of all varieties, food-drive for our city's disadvantaged, and creating copious amounts of epic.

Where did you get the idea for this event?
We stole it from some people in New York who have been doing it since 2003. They stole it from a group of people in San Francisco who have been doing it since 1994. Some call us the Chicago Idiotarod, or the Chicago Urban Iditarod; we call ourselves idiots.

Why are you doing this?
We're probably the world's largest mobile food drive.  Helping others and building community is sexy. And it's important to fight cold and kill boredom. After all, it's March in Chicago.  Plus it will be absurdly fun.

How do I sign up?
You are REQUIRED to register in advance.  In other words, you MUST register in advance.  Please use our online registration form.

I want to race but my friends are lame. Is there a team I can join? Or, I need another dawg to complete my badass team!
Sure. Communicate with other racers via Twitter. Use #lostdawg and @chiditarod.

Kickass.  I want to fundraise on my own for the charity because I'm a badass.  How should I do it?
You ARE a badass.  We set up a fundraising page that has easy instructions for how to do this, including tax deductions.

This sounds funny. Can I bring my video camera and document it?
We would much rather you race. We think you'll have more fun. But yeah, you can come cheer on the teams at the starting line or at any of the checkpoints. Feel free to bring your camera and document the race. Then send us a copy of the footage and we may incorporate it into a video...or the gallery. Upload to the Ning site!

Do you need any help organizing this?
Totally. If you want to be involved with the project but can't run for some reason -- like you just had ACL surgery and are still hobbling around on crutches -- we could use you at the checkpoints. We also need referees and entertainers for points along the route. Plus people to make banners, hand out oranges, and make trophies. Please let us know if you would like to be involved in any way.

Does the Musher have to ride, or are they required to "push"?
Pushing is recommended. Wear a helmet.

Can a team sub in replacement dawgs mid-race along the route?
Not unless you want to be Disqualified.

Can my team wear matching outfits?
Yes, knock yourself out. Creativity is highly encouraged, and there will be substantial prizes.

If I bring my own cart, do I still need to pay the cart deposit?
Of course, why wouldn't you? Since you've read the rules, you know that (a) every team needs to bring their own pimped-out cart, and (b) every team needs to pay the cart-deposit (which is fully refundable per the Cart Vixen instructions)

How long is the race?

Somewhere between 4 and 5 miles total, with the average leg between checkpoints being around 0.7 miles. Then you get 20 minutes to rest.

Where can I get more information?
Check back with http://chiditarod.org and on Mushbook. There will also be an extremely detailed email a week before the event that is sent to all registered participants.

Where can I learn more about the real Iditarod?
Where it all started: Alaska's Iditarod.

Can I make a side bet?
Absolutely, but not with us.

Will there be an afterparty?
Yep, most likely.  These are always ridiculous. There will be sacks of cash and other prizes for the winners. Ask around -- who knows what you'll discover...

After I register, can I change my team name?
Yes, but only up until 2 weeks before the race. You must email chiditarod@gmail.com with the subject line "Team Name Change", and include the old and new team names, and team captain.