The Cinciditarod is a wacky shopping cart race through the city. It’s named in tribute to the Alaskan Iditarod – a brutal 1,100-mile dog-sledding race – but instead of dogs, it’s people; instead of sleds, it’s shopping carts; and instead of Alaska, it’s Cincinnati.

…While physically attached to their grocery carts, teams push through a nearly five-mile course over the streets of downtown, Over-the-Rhine, Newport and Covington, picking up items on a grocery list and stopping at five mandatory checkpoints.

Watch the 2008 video.

2009 Cinciditarod Team Registration & Waiver Form

2009 Cinciditarod Rules

The race is tomorrow!

On October 4, Red Bull Soapbox Race will come screeching into Cincinnati’s Mount Adams area as 40 teams put their skills to the test driving homemade human-powered soapbox cars down the urban 1/4-mile “track”. They’ll be challenged with steep descents, turns, and ultimately, the clock as they strive for soapbox stardom and a place at the podium.

- Red Bull Soapbox USA

I can’t think of many gentle hills in Mt. Adams.  I hope they they all wear helmets.  Check out some of the team names:

• Cletus Built My Hot Rod
• Fastest Toolbox in the World
• The Adam West Experience
• Urine it to win it (you read it right)

More info from Cincinnati.com.

I had two events set to write about for this weekend, when I looked over at Soapbox Cincinnati and saw that they had beaten me to it already, and even included more events! Well, here they are anyway. On the longest weekend of daylight of the year, the list of quirky things to do abound. I like to think we have pagans to thank. Thank you pagans.

• RiverSpan Sculpture Exhibition and Sale. “The entire bridge deck will be tented to provide an enjoyable experience to artists and patrons alike, rain or shine.” Hmm, like a giant worm trapped in a purple cage.
• Cincinnati Soapbox Derby. Aside: I once made a car for the Pinewood Derby in Cub Scouts. I didn’t know it was legal to add weight to the car. Hence, I finished dead last, and my car didn’t even make it to the end of the track. Thank you for the self-confidence, Cub Scouts.
• Happen Inc.’s Grand Opening Celebration In Northside. From the creators of the Toy Lab comes a new space in Northside. Promises to be a fun day of art for all ages.
• 48-Hour Film Fest At 20th Century Theater. See the best films that can be made in under 48 hours.

CityKin reminds us that the Cincinnati Drag Races are this weekend! Mentioned before, the Drag Races are a set of events culminating in a street race you won’t soon forget. From the website:

From the start line the first member from a team of 4 gets dressed in Dress, Wig, Handbag and Heels must be 2 inches high. Then runs one block to the exchange line, where they pass off the same items to the next team member who in return runs back down the course. The race is complete once all four team members have completed course. The start/finish line judges are Penny Tration, Grand Parade Marshal, Miss Mona Lott and a judge from Women Out Front. The exchange line will be judged by a board member of the Gay Chamber.

But the Drag Races isn’t just about the race! The whole weekend is packed with activities including the “Pumped!” kickoff party at Below Zero lounge, where you are encouraged to wear your most OUTrageous pumps.

Sunday events are being held in conjunction with Second Sundays on Main, and include “Drag Your Dog OUT” and Dykes On Bikes. The actual race starts around 4 pm.

Complete schedule of events on dragracescincinnati.com.

On the Friday before Halloween, as darkness falls, an extra sense of adventure cloaks Walnut Hills Cemetery. Hundreds of runners put themselves in this Stephen King scene each year for Run Like Hell.

“It’s like a big Halloween party, only everyone is running down the road. It can get scary, I guess, but the fact that you get to run through a graveyard in the dark, that’s cool.”

“There are maybe one or two other events like this in the country,” says Jill Soldano, an event coordinator for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Cincinnati chapter.

More at Cincinnati.com and Run Like Hell.

During the races a team of four had to run around the two-block area , exchange a hat, handbag and two-inch pumps.

The Drag Races, a wildly successful annual fundraiser for AVOC, consists of four-person teams donning dresses, purses, wigs and heels and running a relay race down Court Street for the honor of getting the Golden Pump Award.

More at Rainbow Cincinnati and the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Cincinnati.

Website: www.sch4.com
Type: Sport/Social, NonProfit
Description: “A drinking club with a running problem.”
Membership Just show up
Fees: 1st run free, There after $6/run (for beer money)

Stats:
- 20-40 people per run. Average=30
- 60% male, 40% female
- Age range: Older group: 25-50
- The group is comprised of people from all walks of life, but mainly a lot of professionals e.g. doctors, lawyers, teachers

Tips:
- 3-8 mile runs with frequent stops for beer; drinking songs & penalty chugs at the end. It’s like you never left the fraternity.
- You can drink water instead of beer, there are several people in the group who opt not to drink alchohal or limit their consumption.
- Runs every other Saturday,
+ 1 Thursday/Month
+ Happy Hour on last Friday of the Month
- You can get the 411 on all the other Running clubs from this one.
- You can find more runs located under their “Hasher Friendly” link:
http://members.nuvox.net/~zt.tedrich/hash_friendly/Upcoming%20Events.htm
-If you wanted run every Saturday of the year you could. Dayton & Cincinnati alternate ever Saturday.

Notes
- You have to do it at least once in your life.
- Runs are not normally that rough, they way the are setup, the slowest joggers keep up with the fastest runners. You don’t have to run hard unless you want to.
- “Hash” has nothing to do with the drug. You follow hash marks on the ground to chase the “Hare”