Krispy Kreme Challenge - Run5 Mile

Started middle of the pack and took about 2 minutes to cross start line. Very congested and couldn't run much faster than 10 minute mile for first mile. Ran last mile and change to feed station at decent pace. Didn't wear watch and didn't see any mile markers so not sure of pace. Texted my wife as I approached the donuts to meet up with her and my boys. Grabbed a box of donuts and couldn't get them open. After about a minute finally got them open and realized what I had been questioning: the donuts are not hot. I could have made much quicker work had they been warm but c'est la vie. Quickly ate first donut in 3 bites. Looking for my family. Ate another in about four bites. Got another text saying they are across the street at the gas station. Ate another as I walked across the street. Finally saw them, and they have a dozen donuts themselves that a casual runner had donated to them. Donuts 4-9 go down pretty quick as I chat with them and take some pictures. My 7 year old son ate 5 while I was there and wants to do the challenge next year. I look around and realize that everyone else seems to have this smoosh 2 and 3 donut together strategy. I think about doing it with my last 3. Thought then repulses me...should not have thought about that. The rest of the family wants some water so I tell them I will go get them some as I need some too. Search for a few minutes and there are too many bodies to work through and there is no water to be found. I get back to them and somehow have managed to eat 2 more donuts. Stand there while my wife tries to figure out how to tag herself from my phone and devour the last donut. Grab my phone back, plug in my headphones, and fight the crowd to get towards the exit chute. Show my empty box to the people there and look up to see my split of 35 minutes. I have 25 minutes to run 2.5 miles on what is now a puke belly. The challenge has officially begun! In the first quarter of a mile or so there are deadly puddles of donut vomit everywhere. Not good for puke belly. Just jogged the fist half mile or so and then the belly went away and I felt like running again. The runners were much more excited during the second half of the race as the dread and anticipation of eating a donut PR had lifted. I had trouble with the hill right before the final turn onto Hillsborough but other than that I felt pretty strong and was passing everyone around me. Crossed the finish in 53 minutes meaning there is no way that that was 2.5 miles.

Work on my donut strategy. Smoosh down 2 sets of 6 donuts is the way to go and probably could have saved about 10 minutes on the donut portion. Also would have lined up closer to the front so I could run a faster pace to the store. Also, would not have had hot chocolate to keep warm before the race as my stomach wasn't feeling very good during the first half of the race.

Grabbed a water bottle, dodged a ridiculous amount of vomit all over the finish line, and walked to my car to meet my family at home.


Didn't run very hard he first half, didn't want to scare my children while eating donuts, and could have run faster second half but didn't want to puke. Didn't want to go too hard as I had a long run the next day and am coming back from injury.


Very fun run that I have been wanting to do for a couple of years. May do it again, not sure. I didn't see mile markers and there was no water on the run course which would have been nice.