i'm DEAD now. haven't puked but there's no way i'm moving anytime soon

2/7/2009 11:49:00 AM

It has gotten really hard to get a decent time. The time spent getting into the Krispy Kreme to get donuts and water is just absurd with this many people. They fixed a lot of the issue of people's time getting hurt because of the huge backup at the start with chips, but there is still a problem with getting water and donuts in a reasonable amount of time and being able to get out. I just wish they would find a better solution than random tables of donuts and water in the back behind the mob. I finished 8 of my donuts before I could even get a cup of water. Just my critique of what could improve. Still a lot of fun, though.

2/7/2009 12:04:19 PM

was able to pack down all 12 donuts...not even a hint of puke...still feel fine

46min...was aiming for 40...didn't realize it was actually 4.5 miles...thought it was 4...so I guess 46 is fine...I'll probably use a diff strategy with the donuts next year...i went 1 at a time...St. Mary's is a bitch coming up the way home

I was wearing a blue superman shirt and a minnesota vikings winter hat, horns and all....dunno if anyone saw me in the mayhem

2/7/2009 12:24:30 PM

^^

its just hard with that many people in the layout of that location. There's not much else that can be done except to have a bigger area to work in.

2/7/2009 12:31:42 PM

^I do agree and empathize with it being difficult with the location, but it seriously could be better. They really just need to get a FLOW of people instead of people just milling about in the lot. Seriously, have like chutes roped off that you walk down to get donuts and water. That helps you at least get the stuff in hand and keeps people from blocking it all off. If they don't do something to make it better there is no way that you can have a chance of doing it if you aren't in the first couple hundred people arriving. People have to just keep moving. Also, is the street around the KK shut down because if you could use that as space, then that would help too. Just everyone chilling in the same area as the distribution kills it logistically.

2/7/2009 12:40:55 PM

what hurts is you also have a lot of spectators mingling about. Keep them out of the way and that frees up a lot of space.

2/7/2009 12:44:12 PM

^I'm sure it would. But so would getting people to stop standing in the middle of path to the donuts and water. Which is why I propose a path that you walk down and vacate. People are like cattle, sometimes you have to make it obvious they are expected to leave an area.
EDIT:
Of course, I also don't want to completely lose the greatness of having hundreds of people trying to stuff down donuts next to each other. I'm just saying I think it needs to be rethought in order to continue to grow.

[Edited on February 7, 2009 at 12:54 PM. Reason : .]

2/7/2009 12:52:34 PM

as a runner, you could bring your own water. running with a water bottle or some sort of sports bottle isnt that big of a hassle, def not for 2 miles and you dont have to worry about getting water, just grab the donuts and chow down!

perhaps make a recommendation on the website/registration next year that bringing your own water is encouraged due to logistics of the location

2/7/2009 12:53:43 PM

^ I would accept everyone bringing their own water as well. Especially if it meant it was easier for everyone to get their donuts.
And I'm not trying to hate on the event or the people who run it. I think it is very hard to run an event this size. I'm just bringing up things that I think can be improved and better accommodate a larger number of people. I really do love the event and would like to grow in a manageable way.

[Edited on February 7, 2009 at 1:01 PM. Reason : .]

2/7/2009 12:55:29 PM

I used the smash method which made a whopper sized doughnut. They should have directed slower runners/walkers to the back of the start line and then told them to stay to one side of the lane.

I was the barefoot guy if you saw me.

[Edited on February 7, 2009 at 1:20 PM. Reason : yea]

2/7/2009 1:15:33 PM

you know what's not great to keep people moving along at the end of a race?

stairs.

people were standing still trying to get to the finish line due to the charlie foxtrot going on just past it.

2/7/2009 1:47:35 PM

when are we going to get out times? I didn't see the clock when i came in.

2/7/2009 1:51:39 PM

And where are the results from the last years?

2/7/2009 2:33:23 PM

I ate all 12 donuts and finished with a time of 50:34 (by my watch at least)
No puke either. I was satisfied with that.

I thought the setup at Krsipy Kreme was much better than last year but as others have said, it could still use some work. I agree that there should be some way of ushering people to the side once they've gotten their donuts and water.

Maybe have a separate area if possible for the people who have already gotten their donuts and water so it isn't so crowded for the people coming in.

Also have water available in said area because I found myself going back for more, which probably held a few people up. Next year I'll probably bring a water bottle though

2/7/2009 2:49:28 PM

@exharrison -- appreciate the suggestions about improving flow around kkc store. i ran ops there back in 2007 and i just had to worry about ~1400 people, not 4500. We certainly tried using flow control as a way of handling the crowd, but please realize that as intricate as your plans are, they aren't going to work when people who have just run two miles are handed a box of donuts. once that happens, their only thoughts on eating them, not listening to organizers telling them to circulate around the store. plus, people run with friends and want to eat as a group. 4000 people arriving in one place within 15 minutes is hard regardless of the venue. Not sure if Person St. was blocked off. I know we requested RPD this back in 2007, but it was a no-go because it was cause too much traffic concerns.

@mrfrog -- you've probably observed how the current organizers aren't comfortable building or maintaining a website (my frank opinion of this year's website was that it was a complete joke, well below the level that this sort of event deserves). Top finishing times from last yer can be found on the Krispy Kreme Challenge wikipedia page, but as for the others, it's either gone or buried somewhere in their server.

2/7/2009 2:52:07 PM

is it still run by the Park kids?

2/7/2009 3:00:32 PM

I frankly don't know. they've cut the original organizers (2004-2007) out of the loop entirely.

2/7/2009 3:09:26 PM

unsure if these work:

2/7/2009 4:32:17 PM

Bigass signs would have been a huge, huge help at Krispy Kreme. No one knew where to go for water once I got up there, and there just seemed to be one station at the front of the store serving H20.

Still a great event, but that stop at the KK needs some work. The current organizers could do a better job of communication as well. Have any of them even heard of TDub?

srvova - you were awesome about answering questions last year and just being a general presence and point of contact.

2/7/2009 5:11:41 PM

Quote :

"@mrfrog -- you've probably observed how the current organizers aren't comfortable building or maintaining a website (my frank opinion of this year's website was that it was a complete joke, well below the level that this sort of event deserves). Top finishing times from last yer can be found on the Krispy Kreme Challenge wikipedia page, but as for the others, it's either gone or buried somewhere in their server."

Okay, lost cause. But now this year we should have them online soon... right? Otherwise why would they be spending (i'm sure) thousands of dollars on the high tech chip timing system?

2/7/2009 5:17:33 PM

i epic failed. I eat slow. Got there in like 16 mins which isnt bad at all for me. I gotta find a better way to eat before next years.

2/7/2009 5:22:18 PM

so who won and in what time

2/7/2009 6:14:16 PM

Cameron Dorn - 29 min 50 sec

2/7/2009 6:28:49 PM

2/7/2009 7:55:29 PM

^whoa who got that shot?

2/7/2009 7:57:27 PM

pm sent

2/7/2009 8:03:01 PM

^^^Awesome photo.

I don't think 2007's winning time of 24:31 will be easily eclipsed.

[Edited on February 7, 2009 at 9:15 PM. Reason : ]

2/7/2009 9:14:44 PM

lol @ the photog who got trampled at the start of the race

2/8/2009 12:05:41 AM

Quote :

"but please realize that as intricate as your plans are, they aren't going to work when people who have just run two miles are handed a box of donuts."

I disagree. I think the problem with the milling about is because nobody is directed anywhere. If they walk into something roped off like a line(note:not just one line but many) at the airport, it is clear where they have to go. And I do believe that will make a major difference. And this is only one idea that could help it. I believe something will have to be done eventually if they want to keep increasing activity. The 1-2 minutes to get donuts and water from two years ago was about 3-4 last year, and I'm sure many people took 5 or more this year.
Anyway, I've probably said enough on this topic. Anymore and it will probably just turn into a circular discussion. It is just my opinion on the matter.

2/8/2009 12:27:55 AM

^ I agree as well. I've had to help coordinate the movement of thousands of people before and it's a matter of lots of volunteers, lots of signs, and lots of polite urging/shouting to get people to where they're supposed to be.

2/8/2009 6:46:46 AM

has anyone seen this on espn or know if/when it will be on?

2/8/2009 9:01:53 AM

and for love of God someone update the website

2/8/2009 10:01:21 AM

^ if you're looking for results, theyve been posted on setupevents

[Edited on February 8, 2009 at 11:00 AM. Reason : ]

2/8/2009 11:00:16 AM

The donut tables & water tables could have had flags/signs over them so that they could be seen above the crowd. I began eating donuts while I looked for water -- by the time I found water, I had eaten half of the donuts (which really sucked).

2/8/2009 11:29:25 AM

Quote :

"has anyone seen this on espn or know if/when it will be on?"

one of my friends said it won't be shown until the 22nd, but i have no idea if there is any truth to that.

2/8/2009 11:39:47 AM

^ that's what I heard from the espn reporter there

2/8/2009 12:10:01 PM

lol @ the guy whose skulls/flags thing got caught at the start

2/8/2009 12:13:36 PM

This thread needs more pictures guys

2/8/2009 1:09:10 PM

can a brotha get a link?

http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_results&id=1175
http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_results&id=1169

2/8/2009 1:20:59 PM

Here's a sweet time lapse vid my friends put together:

http://content.news14.com/KKC_tl/KKC_tl.mov

2/8/2009 1:42:34 PM

^ neat

2/8/2009 2:01:17 PM

@JohnnySwank - thanks, i appreciate it. i've told the current organizers on several occasions last year to engage TWW community, but for whatever reason, they chose not to.

@PhotogRob - thank you SO MUCH for posting that time-lapse. I loved it. much appreciated.

@ncsu304 - ESPN interviewed my friend Greg, one of the two founders (Peyton is the other), and also mentioned a Feb 22 air date.

2/8/2009 4:14:24 PM

Also, what is the official measurement for the course? The results calculates the split times with 2 miles. That is not correct, the course is not 2 miles.

On Gmaps pedometer i get 2.3201. What is it officially? b/c it sure as heck shouldn't be said to be 2 miles.

2/8/2009 7:02:13 PM

@mrfrog -- your measurement sounds correct. it's somewhere between 4.5 and 4.6 miles round trip.

[Edited on February 8, 2009 at 7:45 PM. Reason : spelling]

2/8/2009 7:43:57 PM

i don't know about this year's, but i saved the link from last year's results...

http://www.krispykremechallenge.com/results/60min.htm?mcAuth=%2FBcAG0mPm9MAAK9GAQY7MkmPnA8IXJlPmps22bsAAA%3D%3D

#299 right there, baby

2/8/2009 10:03:41 PM

Ya they have changed the route since I last ran it 2 years ago. It seemed a lot longer this year.

place links broke for anyone else?
Ive got some weird server error for setupevents.com

and they need to have a costume contest or soemthing next year. always one of my fav points is seeing who does what.

2/8/2009 10:23:52 PM

^Yeah, I couldn't get to it earlier today. I did see the results last night. Apparently it didn't record my chip crossing the finish line. And I went straight across the middle of the darn thing, too. Oh, well.

2/8/2009 10:44:24 PM

I know it got mine as they announced me when I crossed.

2/8/2009 10:54:32 PM

^What was with that? It seemed like they announced some people and not others. I was in the middle of a huge group, so I didn't hear my name.

2/8/2009 11:03:02 PM

i think that for the most part, they did it when it wasn't a cluster fuck of people, just a few here and there

2/8/2009 11:31:43 PM