Overhead shot of an open box of Krispy Kreme donuts.

Krispy Kreme Challenge

Five miles. Twelve doughnuts. One hour. Discover the daring delight that’s become one of Raleigh’s fastest-growing traditions.

Trailglazers

Each year, runners brave the brisk winter to embark on a quest of guts, glory and glaze: the Krispy Kreme Challenge.

The student-run event dares participants to dash two and a half miles from the Belltower, eat 12 doughnuts and then — with stomachs bursting — finish with another two-and-a-half-mile run back to their starting point. All in one hour.

What began as a weekend jaunt among Park Scholars has grown into a nationally recognized race, drawing in thousands of participants — and earning a spot on every NC State student’s bucket list.

Campus Life

When a group of friends gathered for the first Challenge, they never imagined their lark would become a signature NC State tradition.

Discover the origin story

Your Challenge
Awaits

Join thousands of students, volunteers and runners again next year — and experience one of NC State's sweetest traditions.

Learn how to get involved

A Reason to Run

This isn’t just a show of gastrointestinal fortitude. The Krispy Kreme Challenge is an NC State tradition rooted in an NC State value: philanthropy.

Since its inception in 2004, the Challenge has raised more than $1.9 million for the University of North Carolina Children’s Hospital, making it the hospital’s largest unrestricted donor.

Check out some sugary stats racked up over 17 years of the Krispy Kreme Challenge:

1,088,000+ Doughnuts Consumed

451,220 Miles Run

$1.93M Raised

90,244 Runners Participated

I couldn’t be prouder to say that this was my stupid idea.

Chris Arbonies, B.A. psychology, 2007

Uncover the Park Scholars connection
Special Collections

NC State University Libraries delves into the archives to look back on the Krispy Kreme Challenge through the years.

Hop in the time machine
Greg Mulholland and Vice Chancellor Tom Stafford talk before the Krispy Kreme Challenge.
Service and Community

Students manage every aspect of the Challenge, from securing 8,000 boxes of doughnuts to managing a corps of 150-plus race-day volunteers.

See them in action
Discarded doughnut boxes from the Krispy Kreme Challenge.
Faculty

Is running on a full stomach a recipe for disaster? We caught up with Sarah Ash, a professor of nutrition at NC State, to find out.

Get the facts
Playlist

Every runner needs a little edge while wrangling for space among the 30,000 knees and elbows near the starting line.

Score some motivational music
Campus Life

Bellyaches, banana suits and more baked goods than we could count. Get the rundown on the 2020 Challenge from NC State student AnnE Ford.

Watch the video
Two students in banana suits are interviewed at the 2020 Krispy Kreme Challenge.

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