CHIditarod (think Iditarod) is Chicago's Epic Urban Iditarod. A charity food drive, beauty pageant, costumed shopping cart race, talent show and fundraiser all in one. And probably the world's largest mobile food drive, benefiting the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

The CHIditarod is an annual race based on the Alaskan Iditarod dog sled race.  Held on the same day, March 5, 2016, in Chicago, the local version substitutes shopping carts for sleds, and people in costume for dogs in fur.  Each team has 4 pullers and 1 musher. Carts and participants are decked out in theme décor, and are expected to stop for rest periods at checkpoints, all of which turn out to be taverns.

This year, participants are required to bring 69 pounds of food on the morning of the race. Those with more than 300 pounds of food (the equivalent of two shopping carts full of canned food) will need to drop off their food at the Food Depository on March 2 between 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Since 2012, the CHIditarod's food drive has collected nearly 90,000 pounds of food for hungry men, women and children in our community.  

Racer registration is open January 14 - February 20. The starting line is at 1900 W. Hubbard.

For more information, visit http://www.chiditarod.org/.