How well do you know New York City — and much can you do in it in 24 hours?
That’s the challenge of Questival, the 24-hour scavenger hunt that’s spread to 36 cities around the country and Canada after starting in 2014.
Organized by outdoor gear maker Cotopaxi, the all-day, all-night race across the five boroughs (and beyond) will take place from Oct. 13-14. The goal is to complete as many challenges as you can from a list of over 300.
This is where each team of two to six people can play to their strengths: The naturally outdoorsy ones can opt for physical challenges, while foodies will know where to find the unusual menu items you’ll be trying. Also expect goofy photo ops and even doing good deeds (a previous challenge involved sending a postcard to a veteran serving overseas).
The list of objectives, which teams receive 24 hours before the race starts, is longer than they can possibly accomplish, so half the game is planning your route for maximum efficiency.
Here are just a few of the New York City-specific challenges teams will be tasked with:
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Perform a musical number from a Broadway production somewhere on Broadway
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Create (and eat) the weirdest bagel and cream cheese combination (bonus points if it includes a Rainbow Bagel)
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Visit the New York Public Library’s main branch and take a photo with a book that’s related to NYC
Since it’s taking place during pumpkin spice season — what, you’re still calling it fall? — the race also has a bit of an Oktoberquest flair with seasonal challenges like costume contests and jumping into a pile of leaves.
Think you can still hack an all-nighter? The “24 hours of outdoor mayhem” that is Questival kicks off on Friday, Oct. 13, with a pre-race rally starting at 6 p.m. in Commodore Barry Park. Tickets are $49 and include a Cotopaxi backpack full of gear that’ll help you on your journey.
For the top 10 teams, there are $10,000 in prizes to be won like airline gift cards, more Cotopaxi gear and bluetooth speakers — but you’re not doing this for the swag. This is about feeling, just once, like you own New York City instead of the other way around.
