Yes You Can Race Mario Kart For Real In 16 US Cities, Banana Peels Not Included

Any fan of Mario Kart has wondered what it might be like to race on one of the game's tracks, dodging the flying mushrooms and banana peels thrown your way. Mario Kart fans will be able to get as close to being inside the classic video game as possible, with a real-life version of Mario Kart that will land in Denver, Colorado and several other cities around the world in 2019. The race series is called Mushroom Rally, and as vigorously as Nintendo defends it's IP, we have to wonder if the Mushroom Rally will last in the 16 cities that races will be held in.

The way the series works is that each city hosts their own races. From those races around the world, 20 people will be selected to participate in a final tournament in Las Vegas. There are a few ways to make it into the Las Vegas tournament, including having the fastest lap in the city, collecting the most stars, or by winning a lottery with a pool made up of everyone who purchased a ticket.

To go to the final by collecting the most stars, you must be one of the top three-star collectors nationwide. Tickets for the event cost $55 plus fees, and a costume rental is included in the ticket price. As you might assume, the costumes are Mario Kart themed. The Denver race will take place between Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 14, 2019, and there will be 30 minutes of racing. The racing series will have a class for juniors with a height requirement of 48", and the minimum adult height is 58". The maximum height and weight to participate is 300 pounds and 6' 7".

Cities participating in the event include Liverpool/Manchester, New Castle, East Midlands, London, Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Miami, Cincinnati, and Columbus. Those interested can enter their city and email on the Mushroom Rally webpage and be notified when the tickets go on sale. Sadly, you don't get to throw banana peels at the other drivers. Tickets are "extremely limited" according to the organizers so if you want to race, you better sign up for notifications here.