The Krispy Kreme Challenge

Everyone in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, knows when fresh donuts are being made. A giant "Hot Now" sign lights up at the local Krispy Kreme, the air outside literally smells of sugar, and it takes a heap of willpower not to drop everything you're doing and run right over. However, on one day each year for the last 10 years, it has become a remarkably socially acceptable thing to do. More than 8,000 race participants meet at the Memorial Belltower on the N.C. State University campus, run 2.5 miles to the nearest Krispy Kreme, consume one dozen melt-in-your-mouth original glazed donuts, and then immediately turn around and schlep 2.5 miles back to the finish line -- 5 miles total -- as fast as they can. All proceeds from the Challenge are donated to the North Carolina Children's Hospital. (KrispyKremeChallenge.com) Be strong, energetic, and healthy like you were at 25!

The New York City Pizza Run

Nothing beats a cheesy, thin New York slice. The only better thing might be combining exercise with said slice. (No guilt!) This race, which happens every year in the East Village's Tompkins Square Park, truly takes carb-loading to the next level. Each participant runs a total of 2.25 miles and stops to consume three slices of pizza at various points throughout the route. You might feel sluggish at the finish, but you'll feel better knowing that you're being gluttonous for a good cause -- a portion of the proceeds are donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International. If you prefer dessert to dinner, the same race organizers also host a NYC Cupcake Run that has a similar format (NYCPizzaRun.com) Click here to discover the 4 Secrets to a Perfect Pizza.

Sure, you have to be considered an "elite" to compete in this inaugural event, which will take place in Austin, Texas, this fall. But that doesn't mean you can't simulate the same race at home. Here's how: Complete four laps on a 1,600-meter track, chugging a 12-ounce beer before each lap. Yes, that's a 1-mile run and four full beers -- all done as fast as possible. One catch: You're not allowed to throw up. "Chugging a beer quickly takes practice," says Olympian and Beer Mile pro Nick Symmonds. "I suggest taking the first 100 meters relatively easy while you burp out the carbonation, and then really run hard the final 300 meters." Another tip: "Don't underestimate the potential of expanding your stomach volume. Eat watermelon throughout the day -- it contains a lot of water and not that many calories, so it's a good food to help stretch your stomach without getting super full," says James Nielsen, who broke the Beer Mile world record (4:57.1) this spring. Oh, and don't forget to have someone else drive you to the track! (Flotrack.org) Here are 10 reasons how beer could safeguard your heart, boost your immunity, protect your bones, and more.

The Corndog Classic 5K and Fun Run

If you dream of elephant ears, candied apples, and corn dogs all year long, then this race organized in part by the Tulsa State Fair has your name all over it. In addition to completing the mileage, registered runners and walkers also have to consume a corndog, lemonade, and cotton candy along the 5K course -- at miles 1, 2 and the finish. The race takes you through the Fair Meadows Horse Track, the old Drillers Stadium, and the Tulsa State Fairgrounds -- all a day before the fair opens to the public. Proceeds from the event benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Tulsa Area United Way. (TulsaStateFair.com) (Need more help taking the road by storm? Click here for 6 New Rules Every New Runner Should Know.)

The Twinkie Run

We're just going to say it: The T-shirt with a running Twinkie on it is reason enough to do this race, which takes place on April Fool's Day in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (It benefits Ann Arbor Active Against ALS.) This year, the 5th annual running, more than 500 people showed up to do the 5K along the Huron River, and about 800 Twinkies were consumed. "Twinkie eating is technically optional, but there is a simultaneous eating of a Twinkie at the start gun, runners take off, and then they stop to eat another Twinkie at the half-way point," says race director Joel Dalton. "These don't seem to go down very well, especially for the fastest, most cotton-mouthed runners." But if you take the time to eat an entire Twinkie halfway through your run, you earn a 1-minute deduction in your finish time. Post-race you can hang out and enjoy some homemade grilled Twinkies as well. That's our kind of sugar rush. (activeagainstals.org) Tired of getting passed at the finish line? Do these three things to blow by your competitors next time.