The Freshman Cake Race is a half-mile race held before sunrise on the morning of the Homecoming game every year. This unique long-standing tradition is open to first year Georgia Tech students. This race dates back to 1911, when the first Cake Race was held as an open cross-country run at Georgia Tech. Two years later, some of the faculty member’s wives started baking cakes for the winners, thus the name Cake Race was created. While the race’s original purpose was to scout men for the track team, today’s participants are encouraged to run, jog, or walk.