Greasy bits of fried pork isn’t ideal prime nutrition for the health-conscious, long-distance runner. But one event, aptly named Bacon Chase, is looking to change that by allowing bacon hogs to run wild while binging on bits of their favorite fat-laden and salty delicacies.

Bacon Chase will take place June 7 at Montrose Beach. Participants will have the choice of two courses: a standard 5K run or a 0.05k stretch for the less athletically inclined pork connoisseur. Both options include all-you-can-eat bacon available at “bacon bit refueling stations” both during and after the race, and a celebratory Bloody Mary at the finish line.

“Bacon is a America’s favorite snack and we saw an opportunity to combine our love of running with our love of bacon in an event that celebrates both,” said event coordinator Tiffany Hudson. Red Frog Events, the Chicago-based production company hosting the event, expects a few thousand runners to participate in the inaugural Bacon Chase.

Combining large amounts of sodium consumption and heart-pumping exercise is certainly risky, but Red Frog Events is not about to get caught with their tails tied legally. All participants must sign a waiver acknowledging that the race will be a test of their “physical and mental limits” among other things.

The first Bacon Chase took place in Atlanta in March, and since the event’s initial announcement, Red Frog Events has added more than a dozen Bacon Chase runs across the country.

The event company is also the creator of Warrior Dash, an event in which participants navigate through a battleground of obstacles with harrowing names like “Storming Normandy” and “Alcatraz”. After conquering the course, participants celebrate their athletic prowess with Renaissance Faire-style turkey legs and beer.

Both Bacon Chase and Warrior Dash are fundraisers for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Red Frog Events has raised $8.4 million dollars for the charity over the past two years.

Bacon Chase is just the latest among dozens of food-centric running events that have grown in popularity over the past few years. At its seventh annual race last November, the Hot Chocolate 15/5K drew over 45,000 spectators, runners, and volunteers and was preceded by a Hot Chocolate Runner’s Expo at McCormick Place.

As their names imply, these novelty running events place less of an emphasis on speed and achieving a personal best than on fun. Bacon Chase will have no official timed race, and arguably pork bits are not performance-enhancing snacks. The Color Run, during which runners are sprayed with a rainbow of dyed powder, prides itself on being the “Happiest 5k on the Planet”; likewise its neon counterpart Blacklight Run is the brightest.

But not everyone is a fan of running while being doused with color or traipsing for sweet treats. Christie Lacy is a member of the Glen Ellyn Running Club who has participated in dozens of 5Ks, marathons and other races. She says that because these events usually draw such a large crowd, serious runners tend to avoid them.

“I don’t find them enjoyable,” Lacy said of these more casual competitions. “For me, the most fun part of races is doing it with friends and cheering one another on. At the really big races it is so hard to even stick together and you hardly see other people.”

One Chicago cross country coach agrees that such events are not for the competitive runner.

“If people are not doing any training beforehand and are just entering for the shirts and food, then what’s the point besides a social activity?” coach said. “It ends up not being about the running.

” She acknowledges that novelty events might benefit new runners by encouraging them to train but says the gimmicks seem to be getting out of hand.

“A lot of it seems hokey to me and there aren’t too many serious runners doing these races. But that’s what teams and the professional circuit are for, so ultimately, who cares?” she said.

But for others, the mass of runners and uniqueness is what fuels the excitement. Junior Hannah Vogel is a former student athlete at DePaul who has participated in races like The Color Run. She speculates that these races have become popularized recently because of the increasing public focus on health consciousness, and says that the sense of camaraderie and high morale is what makes them so enjoyable.

“I love these themed races because it encourages people who maybe aren’t that into running to actually participate,” says Vogel. “I love to run and I love seeing other people develop a love for it.”

Vogel said that though she has completed more competitive races, the novelty aspect does not dissuade her from participating. By leveling the proverbial playing field, she said the themed races provide a fun environment to exercise and allow runners of all athletic ability to participate.

“Events like Bacon Chase and Warrior Dash have become so successful because of their ability to provide a fun, unique experience for a wide spectrum of runners,” Hudson said. “The atmosphere of these events make them special, giving participants of all athletic abilities an unforgettably fun, active experience with their friends.”