Travis Taylor | Lariat Photographer
By Jessica Abbey
Reporter
Students who are hoping to get two things knocked off their Baylor bucket list at one time should consider signing up for the third annual Gut Pak Run. Participants get to race for a good cause and eat at one of Waco’s landmark restaurants, which was voted the Best College Eat in the nation by the Cooking Channel this past year.
The run will take place at 9 a.m. April 12 beginning at the intersection of Fifth Street and Speight Avenue. In this 2.1 mile race, students will go from Baylor’s campus to Vitek’s BBQ, eat a Gut Pak and then return to campus.
Ellensburg, Wash., junior Dillon Gasper, the vice president of the triathlon team which is helping to sponsor the event, said he participated in the Gut Pak run this past year.
The triathlon team is partnering with the Freshman Class Council to put on the event in order to raise money for Mission Waco. Mission Waco is a non-profit organization that seeks to benefit the poor through many programs, including their youth programs and Jubilee Theater.
Gasper said he has volunteered with Mission Waco before through serving Friday morning breakfast to the homeless and a health clinic.
“It’s a focus on empowering them and giving them skills to get out of poverty,” Gasper said.
This past year the Gut Pak run raised over $2,000 for Mission Waco. This year, the proceeds are also being opened up to Greek organizations for their philanthropies. The group with the most participants will get to keep their entrance fees and apply them to the philanthropy of their choice.
A director from Mission Waco will be speaking at this year’s race to talk about what they plan on spending the proceeds on.
Lubbock junior Miles Johnson, a member of Freshman Class Council, said there are several new features this year for the Gut Pak run such as early pick-up for the race-day packet on April 11, and an Uproar Records artist will perform the national anthem before the race begins.
The race will include four different divisions — small and large Gut Pak for both men and women. The small division participants will eat a small Gut Pak and the large division will eat a large Gut Pak. The registration fees are $25 for small divisions and $28 for large divisions. Those numbers will increase to $30 and $33 for registering on the day of the race. The top three finishers in each division will receive medals.
Some students have been concerned previously about getting sick during the race after eating the Gut Pak, but Gasper said no one has thrown up in the history of the event.
“I was kind of surprised it didn’t affect me as much as I thought it would,” Johnson said.
Gasper said it was a milestone and a bonding experience for him and his friends last year.
“You need to do crazy things when you’re in college,” Gasper said.
Johnson said he thinks the Gut Pak run was a great experience for him as well. He said he would encourage everyone to do the run.
“Do it, if for nothing else, then to help out Mission Waco,” Johnson said.
