Mere hours after sunrise on Jan. 27, with temperatures forecasted at 40 degrees, upwards of 873 runners will be lined up at the Bell Tower. They will be prepared to sprint towards ‘America’s Favorite Doughnuts,’ shove dozens of those doughnuts down their throats and raise money for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital — all by 10:15 a.m — as part of the third annual Krispy Kreme Challenge.

The Krispy Kreme Challenge is a benefit road race for the N.C. Children’s Hospital where each runner starts from the Bell Tower, runs two miles to Krispy Kreme, eats a dozen doughnuts and runs the two miles back with the goal of finishing this mission in an hour, according to Peyton Hassinger, one of the original founders of this event.

The third annual Krispy Kreme Challenge has a check-in starting at 8 a.m., and the official race will commence around 9:15 a.m.

Special guests, such as Chancellor James Oblinger, will wish the runners well before the race.

Students can still participate by registering online at krispykremechallenge.com by Friday in order to be guaranteed T-shirts. Students can also attend the prerace check-in on Friday located in the Brickyard between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and be guaranteed no long line-waiting on race day.

This year’s number of registered runners more than doubled last year’s number. According to Saket Vora, a senior in electrical engineering, $6,500 has already been raised for the hospital.

With so many runners, roads needed to be closed to insure everyone’s safety. This year’s registration fee reflected this safety precaution with a $5 increase. It is now $15 instead of $10. But, as Vora says, it goes toward a good cause.

Two years ago, Chris McCoy, a senior in psychology, came up with the idea for the Krispy Kreme Challenge, and with the help of Greg Mulholland, a senior in computer engineering, and Peyton Hassinger, a senior in biochemistry, the challenge was born.

“This is from the point of view of a very athletic runner — the Krispy Kreme Challenge is not about who’s best and who’s worst. The Krispy Kreme Challenge is about tradition at a school that badly needs it,” Brian Ingram, a sophomore in chemical engineering, who ran last year and received third place, said.

But Mulholland warns this race isn’t for just anyone.

“This race is a gastronomical feat that is not for the faint of heart,” Mulholland said.

But, for the faint of heart, there is a new category called “casual runner,” which allows a person to run in the race, but eat as many or as few doughnuts as he or she chooses.

“Because doughnuts aren’t good for health, there is a category for just runners where eating doughnuts is entirely optional and not required to complete the challenge,” Hassinger explains.

The Krispy Kreme Challenge is open to anyone who wants to participate, including community members.

“I would love to see as many people as possible to come out,” Mulholland said.

Everyone has an individual strategy, whether it is small bites or eating with water, Mulholland said. Although, about his own strategy he says, “I give away no secrets. Everyone does it differently.”

Hassinger said a strict training regiment can help.

“People definitely train. The run is not the hardest part — eating is definitely the hardest part,” Hassinger said.

While regurgitation seems inevitable, Hassinger points out that puking on purpose is not allowed.

“I don’t even have aspirations to run the race — I don’t want to puke my guts out on the streets,” Eli Wallace-Johansson, a sophomore in physics, said.

But as the saying goes: no pain, no gain.

“The Krispy Kreme Challenge is about getting up at 7:50 in the morning after a hard night’s partying and pushing your body to run two miles after what once tasted good doughnuts turned disgusting after the eighth, ninth, and 10th one — to see if you can make it back two miles without regurgitating that intensity,” Ingram said.

The founders of this event are all seniors planning to graduate in May. A new crew has been assembled and trained to continue the tradition in years to come.

“We have a great crew of about 10 to 12 freshmen who have done a fantastic job with enthusiasm unmatched,” Mulholland said.

Hassinger and friends enjoy a last supper at Krispy Kreme the night before the race. It is a chance to eat the last doughnut they’ll ever enjoy and talk smack to other racers.

“I don’t do a lot of talking smack on a regular basis,” Hassinger said.

While many have ruined their appetites for doughnuts, some, such as Chris Tunstall, a junior in computer engineering, still love that sweet deep-fried taste.

“I would only do the Krispy Kreme Challenge if you had to eat a dozen doughnuts before the start of the race as well,” Tunstall said.