Students looking for a way to burn calories while satisfying that sweet tooth can do so on Saturday by participating in the 10th annual Doughnut Run.

“The Doughnut Run is an annual 5K race held by the ISU Triathlon Club as a fundraiser for our trip to USAT Collegiate Nationals, this year in Tuscaloosa, Alabama,” said Kristopher Spoth, senior in environmental science. “The Doughnut Run is a unique race in many ways, most obviously because participants are rewarded for eating doughnuts.”

The run’s route features four aid stations where doughnuts are provided to participants along with the traditional water.

“Doughnut-eating strategists have discovered that they go down much more quickly with water,” Spoth said. “The doughnuts must be consumed at the station and then the racers are given a sticker on their race number for each doughnut eaten at that station. Each additional doughnut eaten takes more time off the finishing time.”

The more doughnuts that are eaten, the more time is subtracted with each individual doughnut. The first doughnut eaten would take off 15 seconds of the overall time and each additional doughnut takes off more time in increments of 15.

“Each additional doughnut takes off another minute with two minute deduction bonuses for every five doughnuts eaten after the first five,” Spoth said.

“Its a great way to get a group of friends together and have a blast eating your favorite breakfast food while still burning a few calories,” said Kevin Nennig, senior in computer engineering. “Also all the aid stations are themed so there is fun at every stop.”

The run is open to everyone and participants don’t have to eat doughnuts if they choose to participate. Awards will be given to the top finishers and doughnut times.

The Doughnut Run has been an event hosted by the ISU Triathlon Club ever since 2001. It was created as a fundraiser for the club by founder and then president, Alex Syhlman.

The records are 37 doughnuts for men and 22 for females, Spoth said, and nobody has ever achieved a negative time, though some have gone under 10 minutes after the adjustment.

This year a new aspect has been added to the race, in that teams of four or more people can compete.

“Place scoring will be used. The first four runners’ places add up to the team score, and the lowest score wins,” Spoth said. “We’ll give team awards for first place finishing times as well as first three places for doughnut-adjusted times and an award for highest average doughnuts eaten.”