By Lauren Bishop / Enquirer staff writer

Find yourself running home to watch The Amazing Race every Tuesday night? On Sept. 4, you can still take part in a similar - although considerably shorter - event in Cincinnati.

More about Urban Challenge

The Verizon Wireless Urban Challenge begins at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 4 at Jillian's, 1200 Jillian's Way, Covington. Registration for the event, which costs $75 per person, begins at 7 a.m. To register in advance or learn more, visit www.urbanchallenge.com or call (908) 370-6800.

Dubbed "All the fun of a reality TV show, without the smarmy host," The Verizon Wireless Urban Challenge aims to test how well residents of Cincinnati and 22 other cities know their way around and raise money for a good cause at the same time. It's the first time the event will take place in Cincinnati.

In each city, a limit of 300 teams of two must decipher a series of clues that lead them to 12 unmarked locations. Using public transportation or their feet, they must find each location, use a provided Verizon camera phone to snap pictures of themselves in front of it and make it back to the race headquarters in under five hours.

A sample clue asks teams to solve an algebraic equation to determine a street address. If they can't figure it out themselves, teams can use their phones to text message or call someone they think could help, or just stop someone on the street.

"It's that opportunity to test your 21st-century intelligence," says Urban Challenge creator Kevin McCarthy, 42. "It's not how much you can cram into your head, but how much you can marshal your resources."

The Urban Challenge grew out of a race that McCarthy developed for his then-12-year-old daughter's birthday in 2001, when he owned a cabinet-making company in Phoenix.

McCarthy took the race on the road in 2002 and 2003 and added a charitable component. This year, all of the profits from the event - which costs $75 per person - go to Big Brothers Big Sisters, and "bigs" and "littles" can participate for free.

"It seemed like a really good connection," McCarthy says. "It's not only a good charity, but it's also a neat way for bigs and littles to connect."

The first-place team from each city wins a trip to Miami Beach in November to compete for $50,000 in the Urban Challenge National Championships. All other contestants get a goodie bag and T-shirt.

E-mail lbishop@enquirer.com