On Saturday, February 4, thousands of people participated in the twelfth annual Krispy Kreme Challenge. The challenge took place in downtown Raleigh and the starting line was at the Memorial Belltower. This challenge is unique to North Carolina; people travel from across the country just to participate in the daunting competition.
During the competition, challengers must run 2.5 miles, eat a dozen donuts, and then run 2.5 miles back. Normal competitors must still run the 5 miles, but can choose to eat as many (or few) donuts as they want.
If this challenge isn’t unique enough, many participants dress in weird costumes while running. At this event, there were costumes ranging all the way from princesses to bananas. Brock Johnston, Leesville student who participates in the annual run, said he enjoys dressing up in costumes with his friends.
However, this challenge isn’t just about horsing around with friends — all the proceeds of this challenge go to the UNC Children’s Hospital. “The goal of the Krispy Kreme Challenge is to raise money for the UNC Children’s Hospital. We’re currently the largest unrestricted donor to the hospital and have donated over $1.3 million to date. The challenge is a great opportunity for NC State students to get involved in a non profit and contribute their efforts to making a difference in the community,” Pranav Kemburu, external marketing department head for the challenge, said over email.
Before the challenge, Angelica Rock–an avid runner who has previously stayed at UNC Children’s Hospital–spoke to all the participants. “I hope the Krispy Kreme Challenge will make the runners and all those who came to support the challenge better understand how important the cause is,” said Rock in an interview via text.
Whether you’re a passionate runner, or just want to challenge yourself to eat as many donuts as possible, the Krispy Kreme Challenge is a great way to spend your Saturday. “[The Krispy Kreme Challenge] is a lot of fun, I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested. Even if you don’t think you can eat all the dozen donuts, it’s definitely worth a try, and it’s a great experience,” said Johnston.
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