If you've never done the Chiditarod—the madcap shopping cart race through the streets of Chicago that benefits the Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation—now's your chance. Registration for the seventh annual event, which will be held March 3, begins tomorrow. more ›

Warm and sunny weather graced the fifth annual Chiditarod shopping-cart race, as over a hundred teams competed in what may be “the world’s largest mobile food drive” this past Saturday on the Near West Side. Chiditarod mimics the famous Alaskan Iditarod except the dogs are replaced by people in wacky costumes and the sleds are shopping carts. It is a one-of-kind event, incorporating a food drive, with a costume/talent contest, pub crawl and 5-mile race. Traffic was blocked for the starting point but after that racers had to use the sidewalks or alleys and adhere to all traffic lights. Many people were caught off-guard when they saw the teams race down the sidewalk in colorful, crazy outfits and pimped out shopping carts. One startled woman shrieked, “What on earth is going on?” while a young toddler kept asking her Dad if it was Halloween. The race began at Hubbard and Wolcott and included six check points at local bars in the area. Talent contests included karaoke, haiku, pole dancing and a cheer-off. Each team was required to cross the finish line with 40 pounds of food or more. Proceeds benefited the Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation. The prize list, race results and donation totals have not officially been announced yet but we did track down a few winners: more ›

No one knows - yet - how many tons of food were collected during the local mobile food drive known as the Chiditarod this year - but more than 500 participants spent a damp Saturday afternoon hauling at least 25 pounds of food per team over the finish line. more ›

Chiditarod '08 was a raging success. These are some of our favorite photos from the event, and there's plenty of video here. more ›

Gearing up for the Chiditarod on Saturday? The Chicago Methods Reporter wants to hear from you. They're hosting a "24-hour journalism party"--and trust us, there ain't no party like a journalism party--after the race to encourage participants to document their experiences and assemble a "definitive collection" of Chiditarod accounts. more ›