Doughman racers eat, run, bike, swim and raise money for gardens

DURHAM -- The weekend warriors who lined up for the Doughman competition Saturday morning probably could have used an extra gut check before setting off for their leg of a relay race that drew competitors from across the country.

The thought of an all-out run, bike ride or swim on a Saturday morning might have seemed like no big deal.

But this relay race had a food angle that could have been a real gut-buster.

Between the legs of each event, competitors had to down an all-beef corn dog in a secret batter or vegetarian tamales or vegan meatballs on spaghetti squash or a lambie joe - a sloppy joe made with lamb. Then there was dessert:Locopops, cupcakes, bread pudding or hybrid brownie-cupcake.

Durham's third annual Doughman might seem like a competition that might, pardon the ick-factor here, make you want to toss your cookies or vegan meatballs.

But the event, cooked up years ago over beer in a Durham bar, raises thousands of dollars for Southeastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces, an inner-city gardening project.

Erin Hatfield, a volunteer-turned-organizer, watched Saturday morning as competitors neared the finish line. Seventy-three teams of four took part in the event that, as of midmorning, has raised $17,000 for SEEDS.

"The most successful racers are physically fit people who can eat really, really quickly," Hatfield said. "It's a little insane."

It also helps, she said, to have a strong stomach and a low gag reflex.

"Getting sick disqualifies you," Hatfield said.

Team Dain's Place, named for the Durham bar on Ninth Street where the idea was born, was first to cross the finish line. The victors were Colin Tschida, 28, a mechanical engineering graduate student at N.C. State University who lives in Durham; James Umbanhowar, 39, a UNC-Chapel Hill biology professor and Durham resident; Thomas Stallings, 33, a real estate agent in Durham; and Linus Owen-Garni, 27, a Durham resident and professional cyclist.

Their strategy? To do a lot of eating over the past two months and to race hungry.

Jeff Johnson, 47; Jim Strouf, 44; and Brian and Jodi Rummelhart, both 41, came down from Kenosha, Wis., thinking they might have an advantage. They are firefighters who are used to downing a quick meal. "We all think because we're firemen we can eat fast," Johnson said. "But we proved ourselves wrong."

Some of the dishes were easier to get down quickly than others, competitors said.

Vegan meatballs and vegetarian tamales were added to the menu so vegans and vegetarians wouldn't be left out of the competition. Each team could include either two vegetarians, two vegans or one vegetarian and one vegan. Two of the racers, though, had to be omnivores.

Cory Streger, 37, a salesman from Holly Springs, dressed as Spider-Man and ran through Durham with three other superheroes on his team. Geoff Powers, 26, of Durham, another salesman, was Wonder Woman for the morning. Bryan Bullock, 27, a Washington, D.C., resident in the health club business, was Captain America. Jim Pietrzak, 33, a salesman from Raleigh, was the Incredible Hulk. And while Pietrzak finished his leg of the relay, the others talked about the toughest part of the race.

"The vegan meatballs," Streger said. "You put them in your mouth and they expanded. Swallowing them was hard."

But it didn't leave a bad taste in their mouth about the whole event. They got in a bit of exercise, had a good time with friends and raised money for a project in Durham that does a lot for others.

"This is just fun," Streger said. "This is where we get to be superheroes in everyday life."