Krispy Kreme Challenge: Runners Dine and Dash

Feb. 5, 2011— -- Thousands participated in this year's Krispy Kreme Challenge today in Raleigh, N.C., as runners were required to eat a dozen of the company's glazed doughnuts and run two miles to the finish line.

The Krispy Kreme Challenge is an annual student-operated race; it began on 2004 as a dare between 10 North Carolina State students and now raises money for the North Carolina Children's Hospital at Chapel Hill, N.C.

"The actual product of the Krispy Kreme Challenge takes place over the span of about two to three hours on race day, but the planning and hours of work put into this process are far greater," said Sudeep Sunthankar, co-chair of the challenge, to Technician.

Each runner runs 2 miles from the N.C. State Belltower to the Krispy Kreme store on Peace St. in Raleigh, consumes 12 doughnuts and runs 2 miles back.

This year about 72,000 donuts were consumed by more than 6,000 participants, and the race raised over $100,000 for the hospital, according to ABC station WTVD in Raleigh.

One glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts is an estimated 200 calories -- 2,400 calories total for the challenge.