The date is set. Saturday January 27, 2007. Registration is now open!

Visit: http://www.krispykremechallenge.com

Last year over 150 competitors! Don't miss out:

4 miles
12 doughnuts
2400 calories
1 hour
Can you do it?

[Edited on November 20, 2006 at 10:45 PM. Reason : ]

11/20/2006 10:45:27 PM

i'm so gonna train for this

11/20/2006 10:52:46 PM

I might have to do the challenge this year

11/20/2006 10:54:58 PM

12 doughnuts

I can do that in a heartbeat


the four miles will be a problem

11/20/2006 10:55:01 PM

Quote :

" 4 miles 12 doughnuts 2400 calories 1 hour Can you do it?"

Im down for this.

11/20/2006 10:58:53 PM

That is fucking awesome.

11/20/2006 11:28:40 PM

what if the hot light isn't on?

11/20/2006 11:29:07 PM

Hey, I'm one of the organizers for this event.

We are planning on keeping hot-boxes at the store to keep all of our doughnuts nice and hot for everyone, regardless of whether the "Hot Now" light is on or not.

Some other important changes to the race this year:

- Last year, we were honestly overwhelmed with the turnout. It's awesome that so many people came out and we loved it, but our time keeping sort of broke down. We made that a top priority for this year, so it should go a lot smoother this time. We will have results within hours of the race ending, guaranteed.

- We have different types of runners now. "Challengers" will be those people brave enough to attempt the challenge."Casual" are those who will come out and run the course, but not necessarily eat all 12 doughnuts. We found out last time that some people just wanted to eat a few, so this is to accommodate them. Finally, "Observers" will be there to cheer on the racers. All types of participants will get a t-shirt. We are going to ensure accurate time keeping for the "Challengers".

The reason we are doing this is to make sure we order the right amount of doughnuts and t-shirts for everyone.

All profits from this event will go to the NC Children's Hospital. We are actively working to update the website, but if anyone has questions feel free to post here. Thanks for all of your interest, this year its going to be great!

11/20/2006 11:38:16 PM

I did it last year and were I not 1000 miles away I would sure as hell do it again! And this gay-ass town, even with a university of 45 THOUSAND students has no Krispy Kreme

To those who doubt themselves: I ran the first half of the trip in 15:45, ate 9 donuts (dammit) and ran back in 16 flat. The first half-mile back sucks but after that you don't even notice the day's worth of calories in your gut!




I honestly was hoping to eat all dozen and then yak all over Oberlin but it didn't happen

11/20/2006 11:40:34 PM

I would do it, but i have no want in eating doughnuts.




This seems very counter intuitive.

11/21/2006 12:09:40 AM

You don't have to eat donuts. You can register as a "casual" runner or as an "observer." You'll get a T-shirt and it'll be fun.

11/21/2006 12:48:40 AM

i support this due to the crew team

11/21/2006 1:57:36 AM

i am so fucking interested in this

[Edited on November 21, 2006 at 2:09 AM. Reason : .]

11/21/2006 2:08:21 AM

Join the Facebook group!!!

http://ncst.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2200690235

11/21/2006 7:50:22 AM

hah yeah i saw that kevin.

11/21/2006 7:54:39 AM

Seriously, last year it was awesome. The path there and back is the same, and they release the runners in heats (this year please put those who pre-register in the first heats!!!). SO while you're running one way with your t-shirt and KK hat on there's a constant stream of people running the other way wearing the same, whoopin' and hollerin', high-fivin' and stuff. It's great motivation to keep up the pace!!!


(yes, I said "whoopin' and hollerin'" - I miss the South, so sue me)

11/21/2006 10:22:24 AM

I will take the dozen donuts then run away with them.


krispy kreme soooo goooood.

11/21/2006 11:18:27 AM

It's even better when the light comes on, and you live like 2-4 blocks away and can smell them from your apartment.

11/21/2006 12:42:16 PM

my fuckin knee hurts, but i'm swimmning again so, by then with a week of running i should be good to go.....

i can down a dozen easy... i'll just take my time eating them, probably will take about 20 minutes max to eat

4 miles kinda sucks..... though with a nice break it shouldn't be too bad

~15 min there, 10 minute eat a few, get to eating for the next 15, then about 15-20 back at a nice easy pace

50min-1hour max time, that would be slacking

11/21/2006 5:53:31 PM

It's good that you have divisions now. However, I think the actual finishers (those completing the race in under an hour) should get something to signify the accomplishment. Their shirts should be different or something. For competitive people, it's not cool to just let someone buy the shirt and play it off because it's "for a good cause." That just goes to further the pervasive "something for nothing" mentality. Make them work for it. Otherwise, where's the incentive. I had a good time last year, but it pissed me off to see people eating maybe half the donuts and then running back to get their shirt. It may not bother them to pretend like they actually finished, but it cheapens the experience for those that did it by the book.

It IS for a good cause, but don't let that become a cop-out. It is a challenge, is it not? True finishers should be designated as such.

Also, there needs to be a golden donut trophy to be kept on permanent display in the store. It could have a placard with each year's winner and winning time, and perhaps total entrants and total finishers as well.

11/21/2006 6:30:56 PM

The Coz, excellent comments. Having different t-shirts or something to signify the top finishers is a great idea. We will look into that when we contact the t-shirt manufacturer.

Also, already in the works this year will be a framed t-shirt along photos and top finishers that we will ask the manager to display inside the store.

There will be a lot more information during the first week of December. Thanks again.

11/21/2006 6:43:49 PM

i guarantee you, im taking it. Just telling everybody now.

11/21/2006 6:57:48 PM

Whoa! Someone actually took my suggestions seriously. That has to be a first on TWW. I will try to make it back to Raleigh to run again this year.

11/21/2006 7:14:29 PM

after I did it last year, I told myself I had proven to myself that I could do it...but would never do it ever again...


but I'll be there, sporting my shirt from last year

11/21/2006 8:04:59 PM

^show 'em how it's done mital!

11/21/2006 8:22:54 PM

It will be cool when this gets a big alumni base as well. I may even take a day off and drive up from SC.

11/21/2006 8:29:04 PM

I ran this last year, and ate the whole dozen.

The run there isn't bad, the run back isn't that bad...whats bad is when you slip into a sugar induced coma for the rest of the day, or when you burp and can still taste Krispy Kreme the next day, or that you can't eat donuts for at least a month after the race =)

I'm sure I'll sign up again though...since it is for a good cause

11/21/2006 10:11:27 PM

I'm getting a team up for this thing, and they're signing up as soon as my dumb ass can come up with a name. Can these guys just sign up now and later get grouped together as a team when I sign up as the team leader or whatever?

11/25/2006 7:52:16 PM

Johnny Swank, at this point the specific name of your group will not be too much of a concern (i.e, before the final results are posted.) Because it looks like the teams this year will be more organized, we are probably going to report both individual rankings and team rankings. I would suggest that you and your teammates sign up under a temporary team name now, then send an email to krispykremechallenge@gmail.com later to inform us of the final team name when you decide on one. We will gladly make that change before we post the team standings after the race.

Also, we have the names of some of the top individual finishers from last year up on http://www.krispykremechallenge.com

[Edited on November 25, 2006 at 8:07 PM. Reason : fixed link]

11/25/2006 8:07:21 PM

hell, I guess i'll do it again. And this time i'm out for blood. haha, jk. But I will do my best.

11/26/2006 12:25:39 AM

i'm thinking about starting to train for it

anyone in?

11/26/2006 12:30:27 AM

I think I'll set up a chair and drink a beer while watching the madness Any challengers needing a cheering section, PM me.

11/26/2006 4:31:13 AM

Saket, how will the team competition work? Is it a competition at all, or just a way to group people who want to run it together? It could use a cross-country style scoring system with the fastest five competitors scoring points for the team based on final place. Lowest score wins. Is there a target size for teams?

11/26/2006 9:14:32 AM

David, good questions. The team competition was started because of the kinds of people that came out last year. We are not planning separate heats for individuals and teams; all the challengers will be running together. Most likely we will use a system similar to the one you described to determine final team rankings.

The bottom line for the Krispy Kreme Challenge is that we want it to be fun, so we're trying to keep the rules down to the bare minimum. But because the proceeds all go to NC Children's Hospital, I find that the better we can forecast our expenses, the more money can go to the kids. I'd hate to spend $1000 on wasted boxes of donuts.

Anyway, there really isn't a target size for teams, so the challenge will be of figuring out how to calculate a team's overall finish time.

The KKC organizers are having our major planning meeting this Thursday, so we will finalize this issue and post the details on the website. Thanks for the questions.

11/26/2006 11:15:55 AM

One more idea to float, and it may be too much to even try this year. What about an extra (and optional) challenge element with some special recognition (to be determined)? Once the challenger presents their empty box, they can opt to try to eat one full glazed creme-filled doughnut in front of the event supervisors (still within the time constraints of the original challenge). It could be called, "hitting the wall" or "going the extra mile" or some such.

I see where too much complexity could be the enemy of such an event. I just remember how difficult it was to finish those last few original glazed. The thought of an additional (and more difficult) doughnut to complete the baker's dozen boggles the mind.

11/26/2006 2:53:50 PM

When I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, I went through Harriman St. Park in Pennsylvania. It's right near the Hershey Chocolate / Ice Cream headquarters.

There's a long-standing tradition in the park of joining the Half Gallon Club. Basically you have to eat a half gallon of Hershey (vanilla, chocolate, rocky road, or some other kind - your choice) ice cream in one sitting. I damn near thought I was going to explode on the last few spoonfuls.

Got my damn t-shirt though.

11/26/2006 3:07:23 PM

That's all that counts.

11/26/2006 3:25:21 PM

After last year, I didn't think I was interested in doing it again. Now that it's coming up again I'm getting excited and definitely plan to do it. I'm not satisfied with my 31:12 from last year, especially when I thought I did pretty well and then found out I had lost by two minutes. I have a new strategy this year that I think will cut my donut-eating time in half hopefully. I struggled pretty bad last year on the last four donuts, and I think I have a good way to solve that problem. Now that I know the nature of the beast, I honestly think something in the 25-26 minute range is possible if everything goes according to plan.

11/26/2006 3:51:17 PM

Those damn donuts better be damn hot. Choking down a dozen cold ones might be a bit rough. I'm up for it though.

This is going to be pretty damn cool. I was out of town during last year's but heard you guys had a blast.

11/26/2006 5:35:13 PM

they were cold by the time I got to them last year, but I'm willing to bet that's because of the unexpectedly high turnout and it sounds like they'll have that taken care of this year

11/26/2006 5:52:11 PM

Mital (and Swank), correct. Due to the 6+ heats did last year, a number of serious challengers had to deal with cold donuts instead of the famous 'Hot Now' ones that the serious challengers in the earlier heats got to enjoy (...if enjoy is the appropriate word here).

By doing a single heat for all the serious challengers, we can help ensure that those people will get the warmest donuts. Now, having all the serious challengers run at the same time has its own complexities. We are making sure now that Peace Street will be ok, because it will get crowded and I don't want anyone to get hurt by a car or something.

At the store itself, we are planning on setting up numerous tables spaced out in the parking lot, each with stacks of donuts. The way it is envisioned now, as challengers arrive at the store, they find themselves a spot at a table and given a box of 12 donuts. The event staff at the tables will then quickly mark the hand of the racer upon finishing the entire box and they can start running back.

The sight of 50+ people all around tables gorging themselves with donuts will be an exciting (again, not sure if that's the right word) thing to behold.

The Coz, the idea of the "baker's dozen" is intriguing, but it will be something that will have to defer to next year. Another good idea.

Also, I know January 27th is still far away and not everyone knows their plans for that weekend, but the earlier people register the better idea we'll have of what to expect and so the more planning we can do in advance. Thanks everyone.

11/26/2006 6:57:53 PM

I pretty much convinced myself of the same thing. It would be intriguing to offer the option of a 13th, creme-filled doughnut with an associated time bonus, but you also risk damaging the purity and simplicity of the event. Just keep the idea on the back-burner for a possible future twist.

11/26/2006 7:05:12 PM

The gross challenge

Twelve runners on a team eating a gross of doughnuts.


First team will all members finished wins, or you could do total combined time, or something else. The main point is to get a team to eat a gross amount of doughnuts

11/26/2006 8:08:49 PM

Haha. I like it.

11/26/2006 8:24:38 PM

Join up, it is sure to be a great time.

12/1/2006 10:44:02 PM

Quote :

"It IS for a good cause, but don't let that become a cop-out"

heart disease?

12/1/2006 10:45:10 PM

Quote :

"The Coz: It's good that you have divisions now. However, I think the actual finishers (those completing the race in under an hour) should get something to signify the accomplishment. Their shirts should be different or something. For competitive people, it's not cool to just let someone buy the shirt and play it off because it's "for a good cause." That just goes to further the pervasive "something for nothing" mentality. Make them work for it. Otherwise, where's the incentive. I had a good time last year, but it pissed me off to see people eating maybe half the donuts and then running back to get their shirt. It may not bother them to pretend like they actually finished, but it cheapens the experience for those that did it by the book. It IS for a good cause, but don't let that become a cop-out. It is a challenge, is it not? True finishers should be designated as such."

You suck so bad.

12/2/2006 12:00:36 AM

go mmpatel!

12/2/2006 12:24:55 AM

It makes me sad and/or jealous to see some of these times, considering how good I used to be in XC . I'm nowhere near in shape enough to do that well, nor could I have when I was better.

I'm gonna do this. What is the point of a 1 hour time limit if you're competing just to see who crosses a finish line first? Are you gonna stop people who can't do it in an hour?

NM, I'm gonna be gone that weekend.



[Edited on December 2, 2006 at 3:39 AM. Reason : .]

12/2/2006 3:37:20 AM

^It's not just a race. It's a personal goal to strive for. They put time limits on lots of legitimate running races. Volunteers can't stay out there all day long because someone is determined to "finish" when they obviously couldn't hack it. It's like walking a marathon or something. Don't waste everyone's time.

Quote :

"BridgetSPK: You suck so bad."

That may be so, but how do you get that from the text you quoted? I wasn't even trying to be caustic there.

[Edited on December 2, 2006 at 1:44 PM. Reason : ]

12/2/2006 1:43:19 PM