The City Chase Comes to London
Rob Howard / 11.08.2006
What is it? It’s described as part obstacle course, part scavenger hunt, and it’s definitely akin to adventure racing, and looks like a lot of fun. Pairs have to find ‘chasepoints’ around the city and these are challenges which test their resourcefulness as well as their fitness. They can run, walk and use public transport, access the internet or call friends to get help with winning the chasepoints.
Starting with a clue sheet offering cryptic descriptions of challenges and locations, teams must plan their own route through the city and for each successful “ChasePoint†they receive a stamp. Typically the events last 4-6 hours and the first team to cross the finish line with ten stamps is the winner.
City Chase founder Nick Jelinek says; “To succeed in the City Chase, teams must be open-minded and resourceful - knowing when to use their mobile phone to seek help from family and friends; knowing how to read a map as they plan their strategy; knowing when to catch a bus or a subway to rest their muscles; and knowing how to use their charm to entice support from other teams and even strangers! “
The format has been very successful, starting out in Canada, and more recently taking place in Sydney, Australia. The series styles itself ‘The World’s Largest Urban Adventure Series’ and the London event comes only a week after a City Chase in Paris, the first in Europe. The winning team from each event will be invited to The 2006 City Chase World Championship in October, to represent their country in international competition – thought the venue for this is still unknown.
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