Scavenging around L.A. (even riding public transit) -- for fun

Who’d have thought reality could be so much fun without the TV part?

Joe Reynolds, evidently, when he founded the Great Urban Race last year in his hometown of Chicago.

“Last May, I was watching ‘The Amazing Race,’ and a light bulb went off,” he says. “So many of my friends had been saying they really want to be on reality TV.”

Chicagoans went nuts for it, prompting Reynolds to go national with it. Now, the Great Urban Race readies for its second appearance in L.A., a Saturday outing that is expected to attract Reynolds’ largest turnout yet, more than 400 people.

A daylong quasi-scavenger hunt tailored to fit a predetermined route, the race involves not only actual running, but also eating certain tidbits at specific locales, as well as mental calisthenics (e.g., “Los Angeles has 24 sister cities from around the world. Find 10 of them in the word search below.”).

Reynolds also likes to toss in wild cards here and there, which is how recent Tampa entrants found themselves contorting at a yoga studio.

But perhaps most daunting of all, Reynolds allows, nay encourages, the use of public transportation. That’s right, Angelenos, those big, advertisement-plastered vehicles you’ve heard so much about will finally come in handy. “It adds a strategic element,” Reynolds says. (GPS devices and laptops are allowed, by the way, but Reynolds says competitors might do just as well connecting by phone with a Googling buddy at home.)

Some Urban Race devotees have begun to follow the franchise around the country. “People are turning it into an excuse to visit friends or family, or turning it into a mini-vacation. It’s a great way to see a city,” Reynolds says.

Even if it’s your own, adds Michelle Messiha, who raced around the Westside last year. “I spend most of my time in the Valley,” she says. “It was a lot of fun learning about things like architecture and parks in Santa Monica.”

While 2007’s contestants essentially competed for the sheer fun of it, this year modest prizes are being doled out in each locale.

Furthermore, the top 25 finishers in each city qualify to duke it out in Las Vegas in November for a $10,000 grand prize.

Originally, Reynolds says, he thought he was creating an event for super-sporty types such as himself. He was pleasantly surprised to see teams composed of grandparents, or fathers and daughters -- last year a woman five months pregnant finished in a top three.

“Your average Joe could really win $10,000,” he says.

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-- Mindy.Farabee@latimes.com

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THE GREAT URBAN RACE

WHERE: Meet at Hollywood Billiards, 5750 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood

WHEN: 11 a.m. Saturday

PRICE: $59 through Fri., $70 day of race

INFO: (800) 487-6817; www.greaturbanrace.com