The Idiotarod is a 5K shopping cart race where teams of five to ten dress in themed costumes and push a decorated shopping cart from one end of town to the other. The bizarre races are popular in big cities, but the first official Idiotarod for Western North Carolina will take place November 22. The 5K course runs through Asheville’s River Arts District to the Wedge Brewery next to the French Broad River. Along the way, teams will complete various challenges and contend with sabotage from other racers throwing water balloons and shaving cream at each other.
“One team squirted everyone with fish oil,” says race director Richard Handy, who competed in a New York Idiotarod a few years ago.“ We were wearing superhero costumes. You can’t get fish oil out of a cape and wig.” ashevilleidiotarod.com.
