Ironman Triathlons are cool - to watch on TV. But now there's an endurance sport where a nerd like me stands a fighting chance: Urban Challenge, a road race-cum-high tech scavenger hunt that rewards the fleet of foot and the quick of mind. Two-person teams tear around a city, find 12 checkpoints, and snap digital self-portraits at each stop. The challenge? Checkpoints are revealed in the form of clues. So racers tote cell phones, PDAs, Wi-Fi laptops, and other clue-cracking gear. And they enlist sedentary pals to provide research support from home. Like the Ironman - which evolved from ectomorphic fringe event to prime-time TV extravaganza - Urban Challenge, now in its second year, has attracted a cult following. Twenty-three cities. Thousands of participants. And a $50,000 cash prize to the team that wins November's national finals. Drawn by the promise of athletic glory, my friend Joe and I registered for the New York race. Here's how we got to the finish.
T-minus 0:41:00 (41 minutes before the race) - I scan our competition. A few racers have the lean and hungry mien of athletes. More have the mean and grungy pallor of Doom addicts.
0:00:30 - I point my GPS skyward to acquire the satellites. We don't need no stinkin' maps.
0:02:49 - We get the booklet of 12 clues. The first reads: "Freedom Cleaners? Checkpoint 1 is south of race headquarters. Here's a hint: 'double yes.'" We start jogging.
0:03:56 - Walking up 7th Avenue is a mail carrier. "Is there a dry cleaner around here called Oui Oui?" I ask. "Yeah," he replies, pointing downtown. "Down there somewhere." Joe's skeptical:
"I don't trust mailmen."
0:04:14 - I dial Dave. He's got a fast connection and free time. "Find me a dry cleaner called Oui Oui." Dave Googles. Dave clicks. Dave scores. "It's on 16th Street between 7th and 8th." We haul derriere.
0:52:02 - At Checkpoint 5 (the Pluck U chicken shack), a passerby snaps our picture. We check the other images on our digicam. Seven checkpoints - and 6 megabytes - to go.
1:58:19 - "Checkpoint 8 is the bust of one who shares his name with a live feature film about a good-size dog. Find it in Central Park." Back in Brooklyn, Dave pulls up an online map of the park.
2:12:36 - In the park, we sprint for what looks like a bust of Beethoven. We hop a fence. Suddenly two police officers are screaming at us.
We stop. We're baffled. We look around. Yellow tape stretches everywhere. We've entered a crime scene.
3:29:02 - After 17 miles, we cross the finish line. Out of 180 teams, we finish 17th. Watch out: I'm an ironman. Or a geek. Or both.
START
Europeans Do It Better
hype list
Towering Innuendo
The Bionic Triathlete
7 Ways to Squelch the Net
jargon watch
How Bad Movies Can Save America
Speed, Brains, and Gadgets Win the Race
Has Hollywood Met Its Napster?
Superwater Showdown
The King of Kings
Oh, Joy! 24/7 Reality TV!
Wired | Tired | Expired
