Dear Magnus Insights Reader,

Friday is Valentine’s Day, but some of us at Magnus got in on the love-fest early. This past weekend, several folks represented Magnus at the 10^th Annual Krispy Kreme Challenge (K2C). It’s not exactly a Valentine’s Day celebration, but it is a very lovable cause that benefits the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. If you’re not familiar with the K2C, allow me to explain. It involves a 2.5 mile run (walk, crawl, etc.) through downtown Raleigh to a Krispy Kreme store, consumption of 12 doughnuts (2400 calories), and a 2.5 mile run back. All in an hour. The Krispy Kreme Challenge website describes it as a “test of physical fitness and gastrointestinal fortitude.” I affectionately refer to it as Gluttony for Good.

The race begins and ends at the NC State bell tower and is a favorite event for local colleges, surrounding businesses, and families alike – nearly 8,000 people participated this year. The intense runners take on the 5 mile, 12 doughnut, 1 hour version – those of us with a little more sense and a little less room in our tummies, take on the “casual runner” challenge, and spend more time people watching than stuffing ourselves with sugary goodness. 

(Side note: If you’ve never had a Krispy Kreme doughnut, drop everything you’re doing right this very moment, and get one. Whatever you need to do to get it, just get it. Seriously, the blog will be here when you get back.)

According to Amy Weaver (right), our fearless Marketing Manager, part of the fun is the costumes. “This is my third year, and every year a ton of people come in costumes. There were a lot of good ones this year; four girls were dressed as KISS and they did a really good job. The craziest though was probably a grown man in a diaper – it was 37 degrees out! It’s always interesting to see the lack of clothing people find appropriate for nearly freezing temperatures.”

Marketing Coordinator, Carrie Chandler, also appreciated the people-watching. “I liked the group of guys, with canes and walkers, and baby powder in their hair. They were great old guys – they just stood by the start line the entire time and heckled everyone,” she laughed.

Amid all the craziness and inevitable upset stomachs, nobody missed out on the reason for the event. “The real reward in participating in something like this is learning how it contributes to the community. The hospital received a donation for $200,000, the largest in K2C history, and they even had patients come and talk about their great experiences at the hospital,” Amy said.

Carrie agreed. “This was my second year, and it’s really cool to see what good an event like this can do. It goes to show you that when Americans want to eat, we can fund great things!”

After I’d been speaking with Amy and Carrie for roughly 15 minutes about the event, I realized they hadn’t answered my most pressing question. So I asked, “Did you, or did you not, eat a dozen doughnuts?” Sadly they both said “No.” Hmm. Casual runners, indeed.

The K2C is a fantastic event each year, and inspires us for our own charitable event, the RDU International Dodgeball Charity Challenge, in October. Last year we held the inaugural event, benefiting the Wake County Boys & Girls Clubs, and this year we’ll hold the Second Annual RDUIDCC, with proceeds going to another great organization. Learn more about the RDUIDCC and join us in October!

Until then, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love,

Magnus

P.S. To see the K2C in action, take a look at these News and Observer videos, WRAL’s photos, and the K2C Facebook page.