Registration for the seventh annual Krispy Kreme Challenge is still open, but spots are filling up.
The Krispy Kreme Challenge is operated by students and benefits the N.C. Children’s Hospital. The race began in 2004, with 12 participants. By 2009, that number had grown to 5,500. The Raleigh Police Department has set the maximum number of participants at 7,500 for the 2011 race.
As of Sunday afternoon, 5,335 runners had registered on the Krispy Kreme Challenge website, according to Rebekah Jewell, the Krispy Kreme Challenge public relations co-chair and a senior in biological sciences.
The Krispy Kreme Challenge will be held Feb. 5, beginning at the Bell Tower. Participants will run 2 miles to the Krispy Kreme store on Peace Street and eat a dozen doughnuts. Afterward, the runners are to run the 2 miles back to the Bell Tower. The time limit for the challenge is one hour.
Registrants can participate as challengers, casual runners or supporters. According to the Krispy Kreme Challenge website, a challenger attempts to complete the challenge, including eating the doughnuts, in less than 1 hour. A casual runner can try to complete the entire challenge, but it is not required. Supporters do not participate in the race, but do get a Krispy Kreme Challenge T-shirt.
According to Jewell, in 2010 the Krispy Kreme Challenge raised $55,000 for the N.C. Children’s Hospital.
“We hope to raise more money this year than we did last year,” Jewell said.
The Krispy Kreme Challenge 2011 has three student co-chairs: Sudeep Sunthanker, a senior in biomedical engineering; Rachel Turner, a senior in animal science and John Yanik, a senior in biomedical engineering.
According to Jewell, the co-chairs of the event are chosen in the spring.
“They immediately start planning for the next year’s race. In the fall, people interested in helping to plan the Krispy Kreme Challenge meet, sign up for committees and start planning for the race in the following February,” Jewell said.
“There are three committees – campus integration, logistics and public relations, – as well as a sponsorship task force and a chief financial officer,” Jewell said. “Given the chaos involved in the race and the exponential growth in participation over the seven years of the race, a great deal of planning is involved.”
Yanik has been involved in the Krispy Kreme Challenge since his freshman year.
“I started as a committee member, worked my way up to a committee co-chair and was eventually fortunate enough to become a co-chair of the entire event,” Yanik said.
The three co-chairs oversee the organization of the event, according to Sunthankar.
“This year, I along with the other two co-chairs dealt with the overall organization of the race including acquiring T-shirts, liaising with the website company, ascertaining sponsorships and dealing with the press,” Sunthankar said.
According to Sunthankar, although the race only lasts a few hours, the planning takes much longer.
“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,” Sunthankar said.
There are more than 40 members involved in planning the race and the co-chairs utilize the services of six different corporations in planning the event, according to Yanik.
“On average, the co-chairs probably spend 15 to 20 hours a week working on different aspects of the race and we anticipate that this will increase in the weeks to come,” Yanik said. ”We do enjoy the work, however and are glad that our efforts can go to support such a worthy cause.”
Sunthankar said the being a co-chair has caused him to develop a passion and love for the race.
“And finally, when we are able to hand the N.C. Children’s Hospital our annual donation, every ounce of energy put into the race is made worthwhile knowing that our effort benefits such a worthy cause,” Sunthankar said.
