On your mark, get set, EAT!

The Raleigh-Durham area's active community is going to have a lot more fun than Charlotte's this weekend. Though there's the Belmont Police Department's Belmont Classic 5K and the Bare Bones 5K in Salisbury (both on Saturday), the Queen City proper goes dark for Memorial Day Weekend.

Not so over in the Triangle. On Saturday afternoon, there's the SkirtChaser 5K in Raleigh -- which you've probably heard by now is as much a party as it is a race. But on Saturday morning, there'll be another gimmicky-but-fun-sounding race that will have "extreme" amateur athletes romping through the streets.

Here's a report on Durham's Doughman race, courtesy of Andrea Weigl, food writer at the News & Observer in Raleigh:

If you are looking for some entertainment Saturday morning, Durham's second annual Doughman race is sure to provide interesting viewing.

The 2009 Doughman is a team-relay quadrathlon, combining competitive eating with a traditional triathlon. Fifty-one four-person teams will eat at a series of five Durham restaurants followed by either running, biking or an aquatic activity.

And there is a television star on one of the teams: Adam Richman, the star of The Travel Channel's "Man v. Food" will be fielding a team for an episode of the show. Richman visited the Triangle not long ago, filming at Time-Out Restaurant in Chapel Hill and The Pit and The Roast Grill in Raleigh earlier this year.

The event starts at 8 a.m. at Blu Seafood and Bar at 2002 Hillsborough Road and ends at the Durham Farmers' Market at Durham Central Park. The eating stops include Blu Seafood, Four Square Restaurant, Nosh, Dain's Place and Daisy Cakes.

All proceeds will benefit South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces (SEEDS) and Durham Inner-city Gardeners (DIG).

If you can't participate or watch, you could still attend Saturday night’s banquet at Durham's Central Park from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. A $20 ticket gets you an evening of food, drink and entertainment. Tickets can be purchased at the Web site or at the SEEDS booth at the Durham Farmers' Market.

The 2008 Doughman champions. Photo from N&O columnist Joe Miller's Get Out! Get Fit! blog.