Franklin Avenue

Mike's Birthday Race 2003

McTEAM WINS THE FIRST-EVER MIKE'S BIRTHDAY RACE!

Eight teams... 16 clues... 12 locations... 77 miles...

Teams embarked Saturday on an all-day race around Los Angeles organized by Maria and me (Mike) and inspired by TV show "The Amazing Race" and early 80s cheesy movie "Midnight Madness."

They rode the train around Travel Town. They climbed the rock wall or rode the high wire bike at the California Science Center. They found a book at the Central Library. They made it to the roof of the downtown Standard hotel. Sampled wines at the San Antonio Winery. Met a street musician at the La Brea Tar Pits. Took a pit stop at El Cholo. Sang karaoke in Koreatown. Visited the Museum of TV and Radio. Found Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Jr.s' gravesite at Hollywood Forever. Crashed the Farmers' Market. Made it to Hollywood and Highland. Took the Metro to the Pantages Theater. Found Buster Keaton's star on the Walk of Fame. Phoned Mike's parents in Oklahoma City.

And finally, made it to Michael's Room bar in Los Feliz.

All told, the race took about 7 hours. Tired and sweaty, the teams toasted Mike's 30th birthday... and surprise guest Phil Keoghan (host of the CBS reality show "The Amazing Race").

UPDATE! First photos are online -- The Juice team member Travis has posted an excellent album of shots from the race here. More pix to come! Thanks, Travis! And anyone else who has shots, please email them in!

Here's how the teams wound up:

First Place: McTeam (Jess, Jeff, Tony, Becky, Pang-Ni)
Second Place: The Juice (Travis, Lance, Emmie)
Third Place: Team Northwestern (Marc, Ann, Aaron, Taskuo)
Fourth Place: Team Twentysomething (Geoff, Amanda, Lisa, Helen, Denise)
Fifth Place: The A-Team (Andrea, Yvette, Louie, Tom)
Sixth Place: Team Adobo (Jason, Mark, Peachy, Aris, Catalin)
Seventh Place: Hacks and Flacks (Matt, Paul, Keith, Leslie)
Eighth Place: Team Goose (Todd, Susanna)

Check out the official Mike's Birthday Race website to find the race was planned out, including where the clues were handed out (and who handed them out), what the clues said -- and where teams were sent.