The Southeast’s Strangest Races

February 1, 2006
BRO Admin
February 2006

Sure, you’ve run a 5K, maybe even a marathon, but have you run a race while
eating a dozen donuts? Or ridden your bike naked past the White House? Forget
your standard road race through a historic neighborhood, Blue Ridge Outdoors
dug up the most bizarre races this side of the Mason Dixon. Mark your calendars,
and prepare to get freaky.
World Naked Bike Ride. June 9, Washington D.C. 
The Hook: Get naked and ride your bike through the nation’s capital. 
This D.C. event is part of a worldwide effort to promote alternative transportation
and reduce everyone’s dependence on oil. Think of it as Critical Mass
meets Playboy and Playgirl. “It’s our way of fighting the indecent
exposure to cars,” the organizers say. 
Thousands of riders took part in the event across the globe last year. This
year, you’ll cruise the Bush residence and the Capitol Building in the
buff. 
Unofficial slogan: “Less gas, more ass!” 
On the net: www.worldnakedbikeride.org.
Krispy Kreme Challenge. January 26, 2008, Raleigh, N.C. 
The Hook: Run two miles, eat a dozen donuts, run two miles. 
Created by a North Carolina State sophomore in 2004, the Krispy Kreme Challenge
has grown from a casual dare to a race that attracts 1,300 runners in only
three years. Runners start on the NC State campus, run two miles to the nearest
Krispy Kreme, eat a dozen donuts, then run two miles uphill back to campus.
Out of 1,300 runners at the 2007 event, only 500 completed the challenge. 
“The run back isn’t the hardest part,” says Peyton Hassinger,
one of the organizers of the event. “Eating the 10th, 11th, 12th donut—that’s
the hardest part.” 
Strangest Rule: Don’t puke on purpose. Keeping the donuts down is the
real challenge. 
On the net: www.krispykremechallenge.com.
Geezer Pleezer. February, 2008. Durham, N.C. 
The Hook: Give an old lady a head start, then chase her down. 
Okay, you’re not just chasing down an old lady. You’re chasing
down everyone that’s older than you. It’s your basic four-mile
race, only you get handicapped based on your age and gender and the starts
are staggered accordingly. The older you are, the bigger head start you get,
so a 69-year-old woman would get almost a 15 minute head start of the rest
of the pack. First one across the finish line wins, regardless of age or gender. 
Strangest Prize Purse: The top ten finishers get chocolate. 
On the net: www.carolinagodiva.org.
The Cheddarhead. January 1, 2008. Atlanta, Ga. 
The Hook: Drink several beers, run several miles, bowl several frames, and
end the entire thing with a massive polka dance party. Oh, and there are
some cheese curds thrown in there also. 
It could be the greatest multisport event of all time. Running, polka dancing,
and bowling. Leave it up to the Atlanta Hash House Harriers to take your standard
hash (which includes running, drinking beer, running, and drinking beer while
sitting on a block of ice) and ratchet it up a notch with this annual Wisconsin
themed run/party. Typically, 200+ runners and drinkers show up on New Year’s
Day to celebrate Wisconsin’s greatest cultural exports: beer, polka,
cheese curds, and apparently bowling. It’s an annual event that has attracted
the attention of the Atlanta police on a number of occasions. 
Strangest Fun Fact: LaCrosse, Wisconsin, is home of the world’s largest
six pack. 
On the net: www.atlantahash.com. 
—Graham Averill
 
Three Questions for the Krispy Kreme Challenge Race Director
Peyton Hassinger and his friends raised $10,400 for Raleigh’s Children’s
Hospital this past January, simply by asking people to run four miles…and
eat a dozen donuts. Hassinger, a former participant of the Krispy Kreme Challenge
as well as an organizer, talks candidly about the difficulty of running two
miles, eating 12 donuts, and running two more miles. 
So, what’s it like? 
PH: “Eating 12 donuts is far from pleasant. But it’s still fun
at the same time. You feel strange for a day or two afterwards.” 
Do a lot of people throw up? 
PH: “A lot of people throw up at the store and a lot of people throw
up at the bell tower right after they finish. But you’d be surprised
at how many people can complete the challenge without puking. It’s sort
of like drinking. If you’re good, you know when you’ve hit that
limit.” 
Does this race attract a lot of, um, “big boned” runners? 
PH: “It attracts a wide variety of people. We had serious runners who
were running five minute miles. We had hungover college kids. We had moms with
strollers.”