RALEIGH -- In the time it takes most people to drink a cup of coffee and eat a doughnut over the morning paper, 20-year-old Cameron Dorn of Greenwood, S.C., ran two miles, ate 12 doughnuts, then ran two more miles.
By completing the feat in 29 minutes and 57 seconds, he became the first of 5,200 doughnut-eating runners to cross the finish line at Saturday's fifth annual Krispy Kreme Challenge, a quirky event that's evolved from a lark among 10 students at N.C. State University into a major university event that raised $35,000 for the N.C. Children's Hospital and drew national television coverage.
Saturday's race attracted everyone from Elvis to Santa. Superman, Wonder Woman and one of the Ghostbusters ran as well, as did a man in a gorilla suit, several guys in business suits, two guys pushing a third with a broken foot in a grocery cart, and a man running with a three-legged boxer.
What motivates a person to mix the seemingly incongruous acts of running and eating doughnuts -- lots of doughnuts?
Jeff Peterson was poised at the front of pack before the 9:30 a.m. start, a position suggesting he had plans to win.
"I want to get the doughnuts while they're still hot," said the 49-year-old from Cary.
Clint Bollinger, an Olympic distance triathlete who drove from Charlotte for the race, stood wearing only a Speedo in the mid-30-degree pre-race chill. Was the Challenge part of his conditioning?
"I guess any time you torture yourself, it's part of training," said the 2003 State grad. "And anytime I get to dress in a Speedo, it's a good time."
"You never can tell what people will find interesting," university spokesman Keith Nichols said in trying to explain the race's popularity.
Many simply saw the challenge as a fun opportunity to help a good cause.
Last year, Mike Williams, a junior in biomedical engineering, ran with a group that shed their shirts and painted "K-r-i-s-p-y K-r-e-m-e C-h-a-l-l-e-n-g-e" across their bare chests. This year, they were back, baring the phrase, "D-o I-t F-o-r T-h-e K-i-d-s."
"It's just such a great cause," he said, "such a good way for us to give back."
There was controversy.
NCSU Chancellor James Oblinger was the first to greet what appeared to be the first person across the finish, a fifth-year resource management major at State. Though more than half the runners who take the Challenge are State students, last year's race was won by a UNC Tar Heel.
"I am so glad you brought the banner back to the Pack," Oblinger said, pumping the apparent winner's hand. But the student was disqualified for reasons unclear and the title ended up going to Dorn, of little-known Lander University, enrollment 3,000.
In a post-race interview with ESPN, Dorn beamed over the winning prize, several dozen doughnuts. "My mom likes doughnuts," he said. "So does this girl I'm talking to."
After the race, some were already looking ahead to next year.
Mark Luckinbill was part of a group of associates at ING Financial Services who convened a regional meeting around the Challenge. Before the race, the competitive marathon runner (personal record: 3 hours, 3 minutes) and ironman triathlete (PR: 10 hours, 27 minutes) was aiming for a top 20 finish.
"I didn't make it," he said afterward. "Those middle six doughnuts were tough."
He vowed to return. "It's tough psychologically. I'll need to try and get my head around eating 12 doughnuts."
Or at least his mouth.
