Sal DelGiudice and Erin Osment took the men's and women's races, and their pick of cakes. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

The competition was fierce again this year Davidson College’s 72nd annual Freshman Cake Race, and not only among the runners. As always, there’s another side to the competition: Whose cake gets top honors.

Several hundred members of the Class of 2015 sprinted away from the starting line in front of Baker Sports Complex just after 5 p.m. They ran in two waves – first the men, then the women.

Sal DelGiudice, of Cleveland, led the men, running just over 6 1/2 minutes for the 1.3-mile loop around campus, along North Main Street and back to Baker. Erin Osment, of Atlanta, topped the women.

The pair, both members of the Davidson cross country team, got the first two picks of cakes afterward.

Sal DelGiudice with the kids who helped bake the cake he picked first, Patrick and Caroline Werner of Mooresville. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Mr. DelGiudice went first, snapping up a cake decorated in a “goats-eating-kudzu” theme, a popular story while students were away this summer. That cake was the work of Janet Werner of Mooresville, a college project manager, and her kids Patrick and Caroline. Ms. Osment picked a chocolate/whipped cream cake.

The foot race has been run annually since 1934, except 1972 and during World War II. It was started by Davidson’s track coach as a way to spot potential recruits.

One of the spectators at Wednesday’s race was retired longtime track coach and athletics department administrator Sterling Martin, who watched the race he won as a freshman in 1959.

The race was part of a week of activities for the incoming freshman class. Davidson College classes started Monday.

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