Doughman

The DOUGHMAN
The DOUGHMAN is a charity quadrathlon combining elements of competitive eating with a traditional triathlon. The event, billed as a celebration of Durham, is hosted by the DOC (DOC being a pseudo-acronym) and since 2008 has been a fund raising activity for the Durham Inner-city Gardeners (DIG). Racing from locally-owned restaurants of Durham, NC, four-person teams compete in four individual legs and one final team leg. Each individual eats a meal at the restaurant stop and immediately completes an athletic activity (run, bike, or 'swim'). The final team leg involves a group dessert followed by a sprint to the finish line with the teams holding hands.
History
The DOUGHMAN was crafted on 17 November 2007 at Dain's Place in Durham, NC. Six Duke University graduate students and one athletic coach developed the framework for the race following the Duke University Djembe Ensemble's annual fall concert. As a result of their discussion, four of the individuals elected to organize the race as a fundraiser for a local community organization, SEEDS. These four graduate students and coaches comprise the original DOC. Since that time, the DOC has grown in membership and is now overseen by a five-member Board of Directors composed of the original DOC members and the inaugural Race Director.
In its inaugural season, the DOUGHMAN included 14 teams and raised nearly $1500 for the DIG program. The race included Foster's Market, Nosh, Luther's, Dain's Place, and LocoPops and followed a breakfast-lunch-dinner-late night snack-dessert theme. Joining Nosh and Dain's Place for the second annual DOUGHMAN in 2009 are Blu Seafood, Daisy Cakes, and Four Square Restaurant. During the second annual DOUGHMAN, each restaurant stop has been required to include at least one locally-produced ingredient in the race meal.
The competition during the inaugural race was marked with controversy immediately following the race's dramatic conclusion. Accusations of cheating with the use of professional athletes were made at the finish line, although the final results were unchanged.
Race Format
The DOUGHMAN is a self-propelled culinary tour of Durham that routes racers through sections of downtown Durham including Duke University, 9th Street, Brightleaf Square, Five Points, the Warehouse District, and Durham's Central Park. In addition to highlighting the cuisine of Durham's many restaurants, the DOUGHMAN also emphasizes the use of locally-grown ingredients and in 2009 partnered with Brinkley Farms complete the connection from farm-to-table.
Each race meal is a single portion of a distinctive food of the restaurant's choosing. The athletic portions are sprint distances (approximately 2 mile runs, 6-8 mile road cycling course, and a floatation device-assisted aquatic activity). In 2008, the race meals were Foster's breakfast biscuit with potatoes and fruit, Nosh Paula Rocks wrap with kettle chips, Luther's chilidog and hushpuppies, Dain's bacon cheese fries, and LocoPops' lemon-apple mint frozen pop with apple mint from the SEEDS garden.
Durham Inner-city Gardeners
For two years, the DOC has collaborated with South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces, Inc (SEEDS), the Durham community garden located several blocks from the Durham Farmers' Market at Durham's Central Park. The DOUGHMAN supports, specifically, the Durham Inner-city Gardeners program (DIG) -- SEEDS' urban youth leadership program. Through this program, at-risk youth from Durham plan, cultivate, harvest, and sell organically grown produce from DIG's plot at SEEDS. Each Saturday at the Durham Farmers' Market, DIG youth promote their wares while contributing to the local community in a socially and environmentally sustainable fashion.

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