mmmm... doughnuts.

What would make thousands of people get up early on a Saturday morning and brave mid-30's temps to run 4 miles? Some might say it's the charity- the NC Children's Hospital, and they'd be right. Others will swear it's the doughnuts- 12 glazed rings of sugary goodness that you have to down at the halfway point. But really it's the challenge- can you run 2miles, eat a dozen glazed, then run 2 more miles all in under an hour? And can you keep the full dozen down, or will you be one of the many decorating the streets of Raleigh?

It was the 6th annual Krispy Kreme Challenge this morning in downtown Raleigh, and the rain let up, it didn't snow, and the challengers were out in force to raise money for the NC Children's Hospital. One of these years I am going to run, but once again this year I just went to take pictures. I met up with the runners at the halfway point at the Krispy Kreme at the corner of Peace and Person St. as they were attempting to put away their allotment of doughnuts. Sidestepping the large rain puddles and the various other small puddles left behind by folks who weren't quite up to the challenge, I watched as runners wolfed down doughnuts and the media swarmed them for pictures and interviews (myself included.) Then, slower than when they arrived, the runners began to head back out on course, leaving their empty boxes in large piles along the sidewalks for the volunteers to dispose of.

I have to do this at least once in my life. OK, maybe next year I'll leave the camera at home and take on the challenge...