In the early hours of Saturday, Oct. 25, scores of freshmen woke from their weekend slumber and sleepily made their way to the start of the 2025 Freshman Cake Race. This annual tradition, which began as an open run for the cross-country team, has evolved over the years into an integral part of Tech’s legend and a rite of passage for any student setting foot on campus.
Before the race, students made their way into the corrals at the starting line on Fowler and 6th Street. Ramblin’ Reck Club, the event’s organizers, planned to release runners in waves of roughly 200 students starting at 6:30 a.m. and expected about 1,200 runners to participate.
The most dedicated — and loudest runners — woke up at least an hour before the race started to get a spot at the front of the corral. Many runners said they chose to cut back on sleep or completely forgo it to make the event.
Despite the lack of rest, energy was high at the start line, as first-year students enjoyed the tradition and irreplicable moment they were in.
“I’m big on tradition. I really value that stuff, and coming to a new school, it’s important to be here. That’s important. As you can see, there’s hundreds of students here. I’m from Atlanta, and I went to a traditional high school. The community aspect of it is very important, and I just want to be involved,” said Marshall Lisenby, first-year AE.
Many students who weren’t as familiar with the tradition said they came after hearing about it from their friends.
“I was supposed to come. Everyone was like, ‘Oh, yeah, you gotta do this. If you don’t, that’s kinda messed up,’” said Cole Merrill, second-year BA, who was running as a transfer student.
Students came to the race with the friends they made in their first semester at the Institute, and members of Greek Life came out with their sorority sisters or fraternity brothers. As the fraternities and sororities runners passed their houses along the route, senior members cheered on their pledges as they ran by.
As the start time drew nearer, the Yellow Jacket Marching Band serenaded runners with Tech’s traditional fight songs, including “Up With the White and Gold” and “Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech.”
When organizers began clearing the starting gates to allow the first runners through, many jockeyed for position on the line, eager to gain an advantage before the Wreck led the runners out, and the race was on.
The course has seen many alterations over the years and has been changed since last year, after some construction was cleared on Freshman Hill. Starting on Fowler Street, runners ran from 8th to 4th Street, turning on 4th Street toward Techwood Drive. Continuing south on Techwood Drive and turning onto Bobby Dodd Way to tackle the infamous Freshman Hill leading up to Crosland Tower.
After tackling the ascent, the runner turned onto Cherry Street and finished in Harrison Square, where organizers were passing out water and cupcakes to all participants. Harrison Square quickly filled up with students in various states of disrepair. Some keeled over with exhaustion, and others promptly found a spot in the grass to eat their cupcake and debrief with friends.
“I feel very tired. I think I underestimated how long a distance it was, and I decided to run all the way up Freshman Hill without stopping, so I’m very tired,” said Emi Sarago, first-year PSYC.
Others reflected on the tradition of the cake race and what it meant to be a part of Tech history.
“It’s a big tradition. My dad went here, so he knows some of these traditions from when he was here. The Mini 500 was great, today the cake race and the football game this afternoon,” said Henok Asrat, first-year BME.
After the general celebrations, the crowd gathered around the finish line as the fastest three runners in the men’s, women’s and open categories were announced, each receiving a medal and a large cake.
Dylan Chambers, first-year ME, won the men’s category with a time of 2 minutes 42 seconds. Katherine Preheim, first-year ME, came first in the women’s category and Rohan Gottesman, first-year CMPE, came first in the open category. Preheim said that she was happy to represent her sorority, Phi Mu.
“It just means so much to us. I’ve seen girls stay up in the house till 4 a.m. just giving it their all. I’m happy I can do my part for us and bring home the win,” Preheim said, adding that Phi Mu is trying to win the homecoming competition for the eleventh year in a row as her sorority sisters celebrated her victory.
Every Tech student knows what it feels like to put in the work, whether it’s pulling an all-nighter for a class or sacrificing hours to study for an exam; the cake race is a testament to Tech’s will-do policy. Events like the Freshman Cake Race unite students and form bonds with the school by reflecting the values and heritage that Tech students aim to embody.
“[During my first homecoming], it set in how unique and special Tech is, and I really felt like the sense of belonging, and that it was somewhere that, you know, in four years, I’m gonna have not just this one memory, but millions of awesome memories,” said Sadie Zeigler, fourth-year AE and Ramblin’ Reck Club Homecoming Chair.
After the awards were handed out, the crowd split, leaving to watch the Wreck Parade, hang out with friends or maybe get a couple of hours of sleep before the noon kickoff. They left behind discarded cupcake wrappers, water bottles and folding tables, but the freshman who braved the early morning hours will never forget the memories they made participating in one of Tech’s most cherished homecoming traditions.