By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — Marathons, Iron Mans, Double Iron Mans. Sure, those are hard. But try sticking your hand into a jar full of cockroaches or committing to a game of strip bowling?
New Yorkers will get the chance on Sept. 15 to test both their physical and mental limits in a citywide competition that brings elements of CBS' "Amazing Race" and "Fear Factor" reality show challenges to willing participants off-camera.
The City Chase idea began in Toronto, Canada, in 2003 during the reality-TV craze, and was inspired by shows like "Survivor," "Fear Factor" and "The Amazing Race."
Past challenges have ranged from the conventional, like archery and kayaking, to the exhilarating, like firefighting, to the absurd, like eating dog food and milking cows.
"I think it's a really fantastic idea," said Gramercy resident Judy Kang, 27, who has competed in the race for the past two years with her best friend, Catie Baker, 30, of Tudor City.
After a dismal finish their first year, the pair managed to place second in 2009 and will be returning this year.
"We just have to try it again," Kang said with a smile.
Tennille De Freitas, 26, who placed 13th last year alongside close friend Alexi Panos, 26, said she can't wait for another go.
The former Battery Park roommates who now live in Queens say they're confident they can take the crown after successfully climbing Mount Kilimanjaro together earlier this year — as long as De Freitas doesn't have to stick her hand into a jar of live cockroaches again, she joked.
Carina Holtby, program director for New York City Chase 2010 — which is expecting a turnout of 800 teams of two, twice as many as last year — credits the growing popularity of the event to the fact that people are always looking to try something new.
"People are looking for different ways to get outside and do things that are out of the norm," she said. "It’s really a great way for people to see their city."
And while more teams will likely mean more activities to choose from, organizers are staying hush about what to expect.
"Everything's kept top secret until the participants arrive," Holtby said.
This year, 15 countries will be hosting races, including eight cities in the U.S. The winning team of the New York City Chase will advance to the national championships, where they'll compete in a high-stakes competition for brand new cars.
