About Us ON A CHILLY OCTOBER MORNING IN 2004, the first Race/LA kicked off on a deserted Mullholland Drive hilltop.Twelve teams raced through Hollywood to Downtown L.A. in a day-long scavenger hunt based loosely on The Amazing Race reality show. A follow-up LA Times feature story called Race/LA "an elaborate citywide scavenger hunt and a fun way to discover the city's wide variety of history and culture, revealing Angelenos in every corner of L.A. spending their Saturday a thousand different ways." Created by Los Angeles graphic designer John Hennessy, Race/LA has been held yearly since 2004. The 17th, 18th and 19th races took place in Spring 2011 with 70 teams competing. John, who is a long-time fan of the TV show, says, "So many people (myself included) would love to apply to be on shows like The Amazing Race but can't afford to take that much time off from their lives. This is a way to do something similar in just one day - without having to quit your job and leave home for months. Once I got the idea, it just kept growing and growing...and still continues to do so! We originally took our inspiration from The Amazing Race, but now I see tasks on the show that we've done previously in Race/LA! The race also developed from my love of travel, games and competition - it combines all three in a very unique way." "Developing each race has also been a very rewarding way to explore the L.A. area. I am awed by the incredible variety and diversity of people, places and activities one can find in this region." Future plans include a shorter half-day Race/LA and an overnight 2-day race that will extend beyond the boundaries of LA County for the first time. IN THE FALL OF 2007, CityRace Urban Adventure Hunts were launched as a shorter and less physical alternative to the more complex full-day Race/LA. In addition to three hunts in Downtown Los Angeles, seven others are held throughout the year in popular LA neighborhoods including Hollywood, Santa Monica and Old Pasadena.

Having been on the last-place team in the very first Race/LA in 2004, Derek Bolin felt that his skills were perhaps better utilized behind the scenes. He has been a Race/LA and CityRace monitor since 2005 and has also assisted in the planning stages of various races. Derek is a full time student at UCLA. He enjoys his time working the races and loves seeing the familiar faces of racers who come back for more again and again. Sean Everett (Actor/Rake/Raconteur) has been lending his talents to Race/LA and CityRace since 2006. Utilized as a human guinea pig and monitor, Sean loves watching the racers figure out and conquer the myriad challenges set before them. He also volunteers as a LifeLine Counselor for The Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian and gay youth. In his off-time, Sean is an actor of stage, screen and television with over 90 credits to his name. John Hennessy is the creator and founder of Race/LA (in 2004) and CityRace Urban Adventure Hunts (in 2007). He graduated from Emerson College in Boston. John has produced and directed theatre in Boston and in New York, where he was artistic director of New York Theatre Group. He now divides his time between Race/LA and graphic design. John loves to travel, particularly to Southeast Asia which he has visited more than a dozen times (planning the international version of Race/LA!), and spends his free time hiking in the mountains, playing games of all types, and chasing two crazed Abyssinian cats around the house. John still creates each race - with the invaluable assistance of all the people listed on this page. Lee Lawlor is a non-profit manager with over 15 years experience in the Los Angeles arts community. She has produced and presented theater, music and multi-disciplinary arts all over L.A. in small, large and site-specific locations. Her professional experience includes staff positions at Grand Performances, Cornerstone Theater Company, University of Southern California Office of Cultural Relations, Los Angeles Stage Alliance and City Garage Theatre. She also works with the Ovation Awards Review Committee and has served as a peer review panelist for the LA County Arts Commission. She attended the State University of New York, Purchase College. After participating in her first Race/LA in 2005 and...not winning... Jill Thomsen is happy planning and monitoring as many events as possible and being a part of helping people discover and explore the fabulous County of Los Angeles and all it offers us. Jill welcomes: tips for her 11+ year quest to find the best mac and cheese in L.A., discussions on all things television, and interesting non-fiction book recommendations. A volunteer docent for the L.A. Conservancy and avid hiker, Jill can often be found singing and dancing on trailheads throughout the Southland. For her day job she is a dedicated civil servant proving every paycheck that government workers are not overpaid. 2011 Race/LA Monitors: Dave Conway, Nicoline Conway, Ron Coronado, Kelly Eagen, Jennifer Jones, Tom Monjack, Jackie Simon-Martinez, Joe Strazullo, Patti Zeis, Rose Zeis 2011 CityRace Monitors: Karen Chen, Nikki Conway, John Cordova, Mark Dienger, Mella & John Galli, Niki Haworth, Eva Lee, Brian Li, Stacey McGinnis, Hanelle Meier, Lisa Rawson