In the name of charity — and an elite title

Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007

In the name of charity — and an elite title

— Stephanie Siegel |

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Chris Rossi⁄The Gazette

Andrew Palmer, 15, a freshman at Walt Whitman High School (right) works on finishing his burrito before running a mile during the Burrito Mile on Saturday at Walter Johnson High School. Palmer finished with the fastest time of 7:31.

_Photo=8542>The Burrito Mile, a race that requires participants to eat a burrito and then run a mile, drew more than 200 people to Walter Johnson High School on Saturday and raised $1,750 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, according to race organizer Rafi Moersen, a junior at Walter Johnson.

About 100 people ran in four different races and about 100 more came to watch.

Walt Whitman High School freshman Andrew Palmer finished with the fastest time of 7:31. Thomas S. Wootton senior Cedric Dana came in first in the elite two-burrito mile, which requires the runners to eat two 1.5-pound burritos before running a mile, with a time of 10:03. His sister, Brielle Dana, a student at the University of Maryland, who won the open race, set the women’s burrito mile record with a time of 9:46.

Prior to the race, some parents expressed concern that the event could be dangerous or unhealthy and lead to choking or vomiting.

No injuries were reported at the event, but some people did lose their lunches during the two-burrito mile, Moersen said.

‘‘Everyone felt fine,” Moersen said. ‘‘The people who did throw up liked it. They thought it was funny. One person even ate another burrito right after throwing up.”

Qdoba Mexican Grill catered the event, donating 300 burritos.