BY KEVIN FRIEDENBERG

In print | Published November 30, 2006

Saturday, Nov. 17 was a date well marked on the calendars of Swarthmore cross country and track and field athletes alike, for it was the date of the first of their three postseason traditions of the year, the 4 x Donut.

“The race had been a tradition of the cross country team since … it was started by Ari Tuckman [‘92], who chose to compete in this year’s event,” runner Pam Davis ’07 said.

The race is so named because of the four donuts that must be consumed during the four-lap race, each more difficult to put away than the previous. Sure, it may start easy with a Boston crème donut so moist and tender, but more often than not hopes are dashed when the runner realizes that a bone-dry cinnamon-powdered donut, a hearty double-chocolate donut, and finally a brutal toasted coconut donut must be downed in order to compete. Of course, the consumption of liquids during this race is strictly prohibited, a rule so sinister that Santa Claus himself would vomit with rage. “Usually it’s just cross-country runners, but this year we opened it up to non-runners,” Davis said.

The overall race was won by Ross Weller ‘08, who completed the event in a sickening time of 8:51, faster than it would have taken the common man to collapse to the turf clutching his stomach, puking donuts on himself. The champ later shared his secret to victory. “I ate enough donut so that there was just enough left to shove it all in my mouth. Then I would take off running and use the motion of running to chew and swallow the donut,” Weller said. Women’s winner Cait Mullarkey ‘09, who finished with a time of 12:14, said that her strategy was to "get really hungry, so that when the race started I was really hungry. It’s so hard to chew and swallow."

There are now two events remaining in the Triple Crown of postseason running events. The McCabe Mile and the 4 x Beer will take place after the indoor track and outdoor track seasons end, respectively. If they want to continue their success in future events, these athletes must begin training almost immediately. “I’m considering the other two races. It’s a hard crown to capture,” Mullarkey said. A confident Weller issued a challenge to his opponents, stating that he is “planning to win all three. I just need to start practicing for the 4 x Beer.”

One thing is for sure: the final two legs of the Triple Crown will be hotly contested, and there is no telling what sort of preparation the athletes will endure to win one of these fabled events. Be sure to stay alert at the end of February, when the McCabe Mile is scheduled to take place.

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