What is the Krispy Kreme Challenge?
2400 calories, 12 doughnuts, 5 miles, 1 hour. The mantra of the Krispy Kreme Challenge epitomizes the test of physical fitness and gastrointestinal fortitude. What started as a challenge among ten friends has transformed into a nationally publicized charity race, and the number one tradition to complete before graduating from North Carolina State University.
February 9, 2013, will see more runners engulf the Memorial Belltower than ever before with our new race participant capacity set for 8,000 racers for the 9th Annual Krispy Kreme Challenge.
Participants begin the Challenge at the Memorial Belltower on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. Runners then travel 2.5 miles through historic downtown Raleigh to the Krispy Kreme located at the intersection of Peace and Person Streets, where they attempt to consume one dozen original glazed doughnuts. The hardest part of the Challenge awaits them as they run 2.5 miles back to the Memorial Belltower. This is the Krispy Kreme Challenge.
A Tradition Begins
The Krispy Kreme Challenge started in December 2004 as a dare between a few NC State undergraduate students. Sophomore Ben Gaddy took home bragging rights that afternoon, running the race in 34 minutes and 27 seconds. After receiving positive coverage from campus newspapers, Krispy Kreme Challenge was placed as #85 on the “102 More Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate” by Sports Illustrated, and N.C. State Student Government also named it the “#1 Thing to Do Before You Graduate.” Organizers decided to publicize the Krispy Kreme Challenge and turn it into something that would not only be an event to bring together people from all over the country but also to benefit an important cause along the way. It was no surprise when organizers selected The NC Children’s Hospital as the most deserving beneficiary of this ultimate collegiate challenge.
The North Carolina Children’s Hospital
The North Carolina Children’s Hospital is a specially-designed hospital that caters to the needs of children that are sick or injured, and their families. This state-of-the-art facility was designed with children in mind, and provides conveniences to the patients that help them to just be kids, such as a 2-story play atrium designed to look like an outdoor park. In addition, the hospital has the state’s only fully accredited hospital school, which keeps patients from kindergarten to 12th grade on top of their studies. The medical amenities include a newborn critical care facility, a cardiac care unit, a comprehensive cancer center, and more.
You can feel confident when you participate in the Krispy Kreme Challenge that your donation is supporting a great cause. You are giving your vote of confidence to a children’s hospital that provides state-of-the-art care to its patients regardless of their family’s ability to pay. A confirmation of the quality of care that is provided was made when North Carolina Children’s Hospital was recently recognized by U.S. News Media Group as one of the nation’s best. The hospital ranks in 10 out of 10 clinical categories in U.S. News & World Report’s 2012-13 “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” list, including a top 10 ranking in pediatric pulmonology. That makes it the only Top 10 pediatric program in all of North Carolina. Learn more:
All proceeds from the Krispy Kreme Challenge are donated to the North Carolina Children’s Hospital so that the staff can continue to provide the best care and facilities for patients.
