Similar to most charity runs, the Krispy Kreme Challenge, also require some practice, albeit a slightly different kind.

The athletes don't have to spend months building up their endurance so that they can run mile after mile without collapsing. Instead they have to practice running with a stomach full of - you guessed it - Krispy Kreme donuts!

Now in its fifth year, the annual race involves running a two-mile distance from University of North Carolina State's bell tower to a Krispy Kreme store in Raleigh , feasting on a full-dozen glazed donuts and then running back to the bell tower - and the whole thing has to be completed within an hour.

While it may sound like a piece of donut, serious contenders say it is hard work walking, let alone running, with a stomach full of donuts! They therefore do spend some months preparing for the race - just not the way a normal marathon runner would !

In the end it's all worth it - The winner not only receives a golden donut medal, but also gets to take home five dozen of the yummy treats!

The race, which began as a challenge among ten university students, has grown into a major fund-raising event in five years. This year, over 5,000 contestants started the race and while there is no word on how many actually completed it, they did raise $35,000 USD for the North Carolina Children's Hospital. Not bad for an hour's worth of work that also includes 2,000 yummy calories.

Source: visitraleigh.com,necn.com