For the 16th year, NC State students, the Raleigh community and more gathered in the roughly 40-degree weather for the Krispy Kreme Challenge. For the challenge, participants begin at the Memorial Belltower, then run 2.5 miles through historic downtown Raleigh to the Krispy Kreme located at the intersection of Peace Street and Person Street, where they attempt to eat a dozen original glazed donuts before making the trek back.
This year, according to Natalie Collier, race director and third-year studying biomedical engineering, the challenge will donate $175,000, $15,000 less than they donated last year, to UNC Children’s Hospital, putting them over $1.8 million in total donations since the challenge’s inception. Collier said the race is still considered UNC Children’s Hospital’s largest unrestricted donor.
“Obviously timing, reserving space, those types of things do cost money … but anything we make on top of those expenses is what we donate to the UNC Children’s Hospital,” Collier said.
Not only do current students participate in the race, which is also 100% organized by NC State student volunteers, according to this year’s race package, but alumni as well. Mary Margaret Hertz, who studied environmental science while at State, has been doing the race for the past ten years.
“I started in high school, because I grew up around here, and then just carried on the tradition,” Hertz said. “I’ve always lived close and I’ve always been a runner, so it’s always been fun. It’s a really fun race.”
In addition to the cause, the race attracts people because of its unique tagline, according to Dylan Bates, a member of the NC State Triathlon team and second-place team in the challenge. Bates has been doing the challenge for the past couple years with other members of the triathlon team.
“This is the most fun race I’ve done,” said Bates. “Every other race you do, it’s just you run, you finish. This one, it’s just got such a unique twist with the donuts that it’s always worth doing.”
At the end of the race, the race directors announced the winners of four contests and a variety of raffles the participants could enter. The four awards were given to the fastest team, male and female individuals with the best times, and to the group with the best costume.
The winning team had an average time of 40:30 among its top runners, and the best costume award was selected by children who are currently patients at UNC Children’s Hospital. This year, they selected a group dressed as princesses.
The male with the best time was Stephen Rathbun, with a time of 28:29, and the female with the best time was Amy Hogan, with a time of 39:48. Hogan is a fourth-year at State studying chemical engineering, and has been participating in the Krispy Kreme Challenge since her first year. Despite feeling cold and sick today after her win, Hogan said she really likes the experience.
“It’s for a good cause, and honestly, it’s just one of those races that’s really fun to tell people that you ran it, because it’s kind of sick,” Hogan said.
Krispy Kreme Challenge participants devour donuts on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020. The funds raised from the race benefit the UNC Children’s hospital.
