Will run for cupcakes

Andrea Adleman

It was instructive to observe the seventh-annual NYC Cupcake Run this weekend, a 5k fun run with three cupcake stops.

Not knowing what to expect, I went on a sweet adventure outside my routine.

If this is my introduction, I feel most welcome.

Participants did the course their own way. Some were in it to win it. Some lingered at the cupcake stations in no hurry to run away. Others brought kids and strollers.

I studied the symbolism and the runners.

Ready, set, cupcake. I’m glad organizers posted a start-to-finish photo album.
Chalk artistry
If this is a command to finish your cupcakes, I can oblige.
Actually, we’re far from finished. In fact, here at our first stop, we’re happy to ease into the event’s rhythm with cupcake no. 1.

It made local news in the Astoria Post and We Heart Astoria blog. Run founder Jason Feirman told the latter, “It’s crazy that this quirky event is still going strong after seven years. We’ll keep putting it on until New Yorkers are tired of cupcakes and running…which is to say hopefully we’ll have many more races to come.”

The event introduced me to Butter Lane Cupcakes, which supplied the goods. It was satisfying to get acquainted with a new-to-me bakery.

My scholarly investigation required pre-game research.

I stayed on site to observe the volunteers break down the event. Lucky for them, there were surplus cupcakes to dispense with. Two volunteers were especially serious consumers.

Note the one camouflaged by the tree and her co-worker in red. See how they are intensely reading the cupcake menu to determine exactly what they’ve got.

Because cupcakes. I submit that the curiosity wouldn’t be so evident and purposeful if the goods were cookies, for example. Cupcakes are an elite species with allure that endures.