A toast to you all! 21 years young and now the race can drink to you all for your amazing creativity, chaos, and charity. Thank you for making CHIditarod XXI epic!
$145,780 in Hunger-Fighting Fundraising – A new record!
840
Pounds of Hygiene
Donations
5,648
Pounds of Food Donated
$5,600
Donated directly to
Nourishing Hope**
**22,206 Equivalent Meals!
More than $145,000 was raised to help make sure food insecurity is addressed in communities across Northern Illinois through our grant program. On race day, 71 teams and 57 SuperFans dressed up, bribed, bonded and left with some pretty cool awards. 288 Volunteers signed-up and made CHIdiatord XXI happen!
Join us in congratulating our fabulous winners!
The Food Drive
First and foremost the CHIditarod’s purpose is to fight hunger, all of our teams must come with at least 69 lbs of food and/or toiletries (or $125 to buy the pound equivalent), but so many teams go above and beyond. This year we partnered with our friends at Nourishing Hope for the food drive portion of our event. CHIditarod XXI collected enough food and funds to provide more than 22,206 meals for Chicago’s hungry. Thank you CHIditarod participants for being amazing all-stars and for making a difference in the lives of many, many people.
Food Drive Champions:
Chidiots & Friends • 564 lbs
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.” — Samwise Gamgee
Second Place:
Luvabulls • 226.5 lbs
Third Place:
Those Guys: Big Deck Energy • 217 lbs
4th Place: Bost Boys Pit Crew • 202lbs
An enormous THANK YOU to everyone for such a strong showing in our annual food drive. You help us make sure no Chicagoan goes hungry.
Epic Fundraising
This year our racers, volunteers, checkpoints, and organizers — with the help of their families, friends, and communities — raised more than $145,000 in support of this community grants program, setting a new all-time high for fundraising and a lifetime total to over $1.22 million dollars. We use these funds to fight food insecurity across all of Northern Illinois through grants given to worthy nonprofits who share in our mission to end hunger.
With changes to SNAP benefits and increasing financial insecurity, these funds will continue to go to work supporting community-centered initiatives that address hunger, food scarcity, and education via the CHIditarod Grant Program. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to the hard work of fundraising teams, combined with the generosity of the community and the care of people supporting one another, help us fulfill our mission to ensure everyone has access to food.
Fundraising Champions:
The Chidiots & Friends • $39,860
“It’s the job that’s never started as takes longest to finish.” — Samwise Gamgee
2nd Place Fundraising:
Nomeward Bound • $24,849
3rd Place Fundraising:
SixPack Attack • $11,463
4th Place Fundraising:
The Fighting Mongooses • $6,028
Checkpoint Fundraising Champions:
Mundus Absurdus at Phyllis’s Musical Hotel • $8,323
CHIditarod, The Race
Yes, CHIditarod is indeed still a timed race, and when it’s cold on the first weekend of March, it’s easy to stay cozy inside a checkpoint. These teams hustled to the finish with their eyes on the prize!
1st Place Speed Racer:
The Bing Bongs
End Time 3:24 PM
2nd Place Speed Racer
Team Madness | End Time 4:06 PM
3rd Place Speed Racer
The Lobsters | End Time 4:07 PM
Checkpoint’s Choice
Master Judges at each Checkpoint have the power to bestow a prize befitting of a specific kind of chaos, pageantry or just all around silliness.
Phyllis’s Musical Inn: Cartastrophy
Cool and edgy, the fine folks of Cartastrophy brought to life a tattoo parlor with flash tattoos for racers and judges to choose from and get along the race route. Did you know they also had a fundraiser to get a REAL Chiditarod tattoo too?!
Output Lounge: The Lobsters
Slather them in butter because they are on a roll (we couldn’t resist). They took us right to Maine with their charming Lobster trap and fisherman.
Roots Pizza: Dynasty of Wheels 1 & 2
With stunning cart design and a collection of incredible outfits, the Roots Judges were charmed by this walk through Chinese history in costume, as well as their beautifully themed bribes.
Barcocina: High Stakes Low Standards
Keeping it sexy, creative and cool as always, this team had a hostess with the mostess (really, she was a sight to behold), but it was the one of a kind, hidden, built-in Peep show that won over the Judges
Midwest Coast Brewing: Clownderella
We love a good pun, especially one as artful as this! The circus themed carriage, beautiful horse masks, and the juggling! This clown shoe was the perfect fit.
The Judges Call!
Best in Show: SixPack Attack
This team was in character ALL DAY armed with matching sweatshirts, popped collars and mini-keg. They “pledged” over 50 new brothers, bribed with a frat boy survival kit, and brought the party with their cart that folded out to a full-sized beer pong table.
Best in Bribe: Nomeward Bound
The Nomes aren’t new to the Bribe award, and this year they brought their handmade magic to mini Muppets, complete with working mouths. Added bonus: our Hood Ornament and Musher in Chief, Devin, was presented with one of Captain Slam, our massive and lovable air dancer.
Best Costume: Friends of the Abyss – Hive Edition
Last year’s Best In Show winner did not rest on their laurels this year. This group of super smart scientists didn’t just tell us all about bees and their habitat, but each of them dressed as a different classification of bee, with anatomically correct wings and a few visual puns to boot. (Yep, that’s a Carpenter Bee with the toolbelt.)
Rookie of the Year: Rusty Anchors
The one team to take the idea of Chiditarod’s 21st birthday literally, this group of five came decked out for fun. From their giant cake cart to their mini cart filled with party favors, the ladies of Rusty Anchors in their matching sweatsuits brought it all for their first Race Day, and we loved it
The Creative Arts Award for Use of Unusual Materials: The Chidiots & Friends
“One does not simply walk into Mordor.” But apparently at Chiditarod… you do! Thanks to Chidiots and friends. With their walking pad and moving backdrop you could take a stroll from the Shire through Middle Earth and into Mordor!
Biggest and Longest Art Cart Ever Award: ChiditaBowl!
We thought it was funny that this was the year we brought back our beloved fundraising event, ChidtaBowl and that was what The Secret Gentlemen’s Club chose as their theme (total coincidence, BTW). But no one was laughing when the most remarkable cart steered its way into the Yard. Forever outdoing themselves, SGC brought the longest cart they have ever made, with a complete bowling lane. Yes, you could stand on it. Yes, you could actually bowl. And yes the ball return worked. Knocking down the pins was incredibly satisfying when you saw how they were decorated, but as always, it’s the little details we love – the cup holders; the little table that swung around (and was shaped like an old school National Parks Service sign), and the scorecards, the back of which was a nod to past SGC carts. This team never fails to bring the awe to Chiditarod.
Racer Survey Results Are In!
People’s Choice: Cartastrophy
Honorable Mentions: Friends of the Abyss and Chiditabowl
Best Checkpoint: Roots Pizza
Roots Pizza was Working for the weekend with their corporate retreat theme. Racers were challenged to improvise a powerpoint presentation using as many corporate buzzwords as possible. Real SYNERGY.
Dick Dastardly Award: The Rusty Anchors
Honestly we feel like this photo is self-explanatory.
Honorable Mentions: Potato with their sacks of potatoes
We cannot express how thankful we are and how far the food raised, as well as money, will help support those in need at a time when groceries are more expensive than ever before. The CHIditarod Foundation is committed to making sure food is accessible to everyone in the greater Chicagoland area. In 2025 we gave out $121,000 to fund 21 projects for both programming and infrastructure. We could not do this work without the generosity of everyone who fundraised and donated. Check back on our Grants Page for more information.
** 1.2 pounds of food per meal is the conversion used by Greater Chicago Food Depository and Feeding America
About the Race
The annual philanthropic spectacle raced through Chicago’s West Town neighborhoods, with each team visiting five checkpoints: Phyllis’s Musical Inn, Roots Handmade Pizza, Output Lounge, Midwest Coast Brewing, and Barcocina. Each checkpoint hosted our costumed superstars with immersive themes, contests, and interactive opportunities. Our friends at Cobra Lounge once again graciously hosted the Start and Finish Lines. We wrapped up the awards ceremony at Midwest Coast Brewing, where there was music, mega dancing, and sandwiches from Fat Shallot. All bars have generously agreed to donate a 15% of their proceeds to The CHIditarod Foundation to aid in our epic mission of fighting hunger in Chicago at a time when it is needed more than ever before.