Waking up one morning and eating a dozen doughnuts is a hard task to undertake. That is 2400 calories of pure sugar and dough. So imagine eating that and then going for a run.
This Saturday, people from all around Tuscaloosa will be participating in the Krispy Kreme Challenge, a race that plays off a very unique description: it’s also an eating contest. In Tuscaloosa, the Krispy Kreme Challenge is a charitable event that partners with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Alabama to help kids in the community that are in need.
“The reason I decided to attempt it this year was because I’m trying to work on my health and what better way to exercise and have fun than run a marathon and eat doughnuts,” said John Stabler, a junior double majoring in electrical engineering and physics. “Especially for a charitable cause.”
The Krispy Kreme Challenge is a yearly race, inspired by a similar game that began in 2004 when a few undergraduate students at North Caroline State created the contest as a dare. That dare ended up evolving into a full-fledged event on NC State’s campus and became an outlet for a charitable cause.
The rules are simple, depending on how you decide to run. Challengers are responsible for running a mile, receiving and eating an entire dozen of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and then running back to the finish line. Teams are responsible for eating two dozen, but in groups of 4 to 12 people.
When discussing the Krispy Kreme Challenge last year, junior operations management major Grant Hagedorn talked about his preparation for the race.
“Last year was my first time time and I was able to finish all 12 doughnuts. I will more than likely get sick again this year,” he said. “The sugar crash after the race was the worst part.”
Hagedorn, Stabler, and their teammates have been preparing mentally and physically for this year’s run, due to the amount of preparation there is to be done. Stabler explained how he has been changing his daily routines to get his body prepared.
“For the last two weeks I’ve been ramping up my exercise routine and taking stairs whenever possible in lieu of elevators and trying to work one sugary snack in a day to get my system used to a small sugar rush,” Stabler said. “[Getting sick] is certainly a possibility but I think that given the right pace and preparation for the day you should be able to weather through it with just some slight nausea at worst.”
Hagedorn is walking into the race this weekend with veteran experience, but this year, Hagedorn will be running in the challenge with his girlfriend and her parents as part of a team. He plans on utilizing a new tactic to make sure he can eat more than his share of doughnuts.
“I plan on pacing the doughnut section. I will flatten two doughnuts into one and try not to drink water because it will fill you up quicker,” he said.
Working in teams of 4 to 12 people, you are responsible for two dozen doughnuts. Different members of the team can eat more than others, and no one person is required to eat all twelve.
“I’m part of a ten-man team known as ‘Do or Doughnut, There is No Try,’” said Stabler. “We are hoping to really win this time or at least have a lot of fun!”
For challengers and teams, there are prizes for the top three contenders. For challengers, there are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes for both male runners and female runners. For teams, there are trophies for the top 3 placed teams. Running in teams costs $25 per person, while racing as a challenger costs $35 per person.
The challenge will take place this Saturday, February 27th at 10 a.m. and starts and ends at the Government Plaza on 6th in Downtown Tuscaloosa. There is limited space for day-of registration, so the best bet is to register online at http://www.tuscaloosakkc.com/ and not rush the morning of the race!
