The annual Krispy Kreme 1K biathlon went off without a hitch in Raleigh, N.C., last Saturday morning. The athletic event, sponsored by the popular doughnut-maker and North Carolina State University, combines the sports of running and binge eating.

The race involves running - if you want to call it that - a half kilometer (about 6 blocks) to the local Krispy Kreme shop, eating one dozen glazed doughnuts (only 9600 calories and 360 grams of fat!), then running the remaining 0.5K of the race to the finish.

The good news: every runner made it to the shop to get free doughnuts. And no one collapsed along the way.

The bad news: no one made it to the end of the race. But then again, no one ever has in the 6 years the race has been held. And thus, the $100 purse remains unclaimed.

Thousands of anxious fans waited at the finish line, only to be disappointed once again that not one runner showed up. Their disappointment quickly turned to joy as two employees from the Krispy Kreme shop drove up in a van and dropped off 10,000 glazed doughnuts for the spectators. A feeding frenzy ensued.

As the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed, numerous runners could be seen all over downtown Raleigh, throwing up, sitting on curbs, and napping on park benches.

Each entrant in the race received a commemorative t-shirt (available in sizes XXL on up), emblazoned with a picture of a donut and the the caption “Maybe next year,” and a carton of Marlboros.