Cupid's Undie Run

Runner's World columnist Peter Sagal A Renewed Relationship With Running Cupid's Undie Run Leave the watch at home. Courses are advertised as a mile-ish and most dont have a finish line.

She Raced 18 Horses in an Ultramarathon—and Won Children's Tumor Foundation--with scantily-clad runners, pre-race partying, and conditions well below freezing--Cupid's Undie Run isn't your average charity run. Sagal observed, "At the finish, people laughed and hollered and cheered as they completed their mile run as if they had just won the Olympic Marathon."

What kind of magic does Cupid have in his arrows? We took a look at eight of these events across the country to find out what sets them apart.

Born New Year's Eve of 2009, Cupid's Undie Run was inspired by a friend's struggle with the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis. To raise money for a cure, Bobby Gill and the race's cofounders planned Cupid's Undie Run, a come-as-you-are charity event for runners and non-runners alike.

Little did they know that in just three months, with the help of over 600 runners, the inaugural race in Washington, D.C. would raise over $10,000 for the Children's Tumor Foundation.

Since its inauguration, Cupid's Undie Run has been run by 12,000 participants and raised more than $1,700,000 towards curing neurofibramatosis.

Read the rules before planning your wardrobe. While it may seem like anything goes, Cupid's Undie Run aims for a "PG-13 environment: slightly risque, but good at heart." "Remember," the site says, "this is a charity event for kids."

This doesn't put a limit on the craziness of costumes, however. Runners of Cupid's Undie Run in New York City, DAA Industry Opt Out.

Want to help the cause without shedding the clothes? "If you don't want to show too much skin, you are welcome to wear your undies over top of tights," says the site. "We encourage creativity!"

What's crazier than running mostly naked through city streets?

Tunde Oyeneyin Runs to Break Through Boundaries.

The inaugural race took place under four feet of snow, and this year's participants kept the tradition alive. After facing below-freezing temperatures, runners celebrated post-race at the Pour House bar and restaurant.

If frostbite isn't your thing, Cupid has also made his way south to Cupid's Undie Run in Orlando, where the mayors of Orlando and Belle Isles made appearances this year.

Leave the watch at home. Courses are advertised as a "mile-ish" and most don't have a finish line.

However, just because you don't set the course record doesn't mean that it won't thrill you--Chicago runners dash through Writleyville neighborhood before festivities at the Houndstooth Saloon.

However, there is good news for the competitive at heart: Competition is fierce for the title of top individual fundraiser for each city's event. Tracked by online thermometers in the months before the race, participants who raise the most money for the Children's Tumor Foundation receive prizes ranging from an embroidered bathrobe to a custom-engraved Cupid's Undie Run iPod.

At Cupid's Undie Run in Denver, after running past the Denver Art Museum and around Civic Center Park, post-race festivities at Stoney's Bar and Grill include a free chocolate covered cherry shot by SoCo and a Chest Hair Auction. Already in its third year, the Denver event raised a personal best of $60,000 in 2013.

In addition to individual fundraising, there is a also the option to fundraise and compete as team by registering through the website.

The top five teams in Cupid's Undie Run in Philly, shown here, raised a total of $31,000, with the winning team "I See Philly" bringing in over $9,400.

In 2013, Cupid found his way to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Austin, Nashville, Orlando, Minneapolis, Philly, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Detroit.

In Cincinnati, the Team Speedo Moustache Dance Party (shown) was the second-highest fundraising team in the nation.

Cupid's Undie Run has announced that the February 15, 2014, run will feature 12 new locations, bringing the total to 30 cities--and counting.

What's next for cupid? Their goal for next year is to raise $4 million and have 14,000 runners.

Some call them crazy. Cupid's official statement?
"The only thing we're crazy about is finding a cure."

Find a Cupid's Undie Run Near Me