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What some might call binge eating, others say is training for the next Burrito Mile — a growing tradition among Montgomery County high school runners that challenges participants in a race to eat a burrito and then immediately run a mile.

But while students say the race is simply a fun competition for guts and glory, some parents say the event is unhealthy and even dangerous.

Recently, organizers of a Burrito Mile race scheduled for this weekend had to change the location of the event, after parents complained to the principal of Walter Johnson High School, where it was originally to be held.

Walter Johnson junior Rafi Moersen, 16, had planned the race to raise money for the school’s Pennies for Patients Drive, an annual fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Walter Johnson is competing with 11 other county high schools to raise the most money for the campaign to win a post-prom party. The other high schools competing this year are James Blake, Albert Einstein, Gaithersburg, Northwest, Quince Orchard, Seneca Valley, Wheaton, Walt Whitman, Northwood, Winston Churchill and Sherwood.

Principal Christopher Garran said each year students come up with creative ways to raise money, such as the ‘‘stuck for a buck” fundraiser, which allowed students to purchase a piece of duct tape for a dollar and then use it to stick Garran to a wall, he said. Last year, Walter Johnson students raised the most money for Pennies for Patients and won the party, he said.

So, the Burrito Mile seemed like another in a line of wacky student fundraising ideas. But it wasn’t one the school could condone, he said.

‘‘In many ways it’s a great idea,” Garran said. ‘‘It’s creative, it gets the running community in on it. But I did hear concerns from a very small number of parents.”

Garran said that two parents contacted him with concerns. The parents were worried that the event could encourage binge eating or overeating and that it could be unsafe or unhealthy by causing participants to throw up.

‘‘I commend my students for coming up with a very creative idea and for wanting to do something to raise money for charity,” he said. ‘‘At the same time, I recognize the concerns. It’s probably not an activity that the school should be sponsoring.”

North Potomac resident Hugh Lynch is one of the parents who called the administration at Walter Johnson. Lynch first learned about the Burrito Mile last year, when his son, a Quince Orchard student participated in a 4X8uritto relay race in June.

Lynch, a retired county public school teacher and coach, said the burrito running events are dangerous and shouldn’t happen.

‘‘It’s self-induced vomiting and not only is that uncomfortable, but it’s also dangerous,” he said.

The goal of the Burrito Mile is not only to win the race, but also to throw up, Lynch said.

‘‘When you regurgitate, you’re also gasping for breath,” he said. ‘‘Your trachea is open. When you regurgitate, it could go into the lung, or it could choke you to death.”

But students say that vomiting is not the goal, it’s only a side effect.

‘‘The point of it is to raise money,” said Michael Schwartz, 17, Walter Johnson junior class president. ‘‘The goal is not to throw up, but sometimes that happens.”

Some say the danger of the event is exaggerated.

Dr. David Reitman, chairman of pediatric medicine at Suburban Hospital, said he didn’t think the Burrito Mile seemed like a particularly smart thing to do; however, he didn’t think it was unsafe. There is a small choking hazard, but the chances of that are pretty low, he said.

‘‘I can’t say it’s the healthiest thing,” he said. ‘‘The biggest risk is they’re going to make themselves throw up. It’s not a life or death danger. But it’s probably not the best idea.”

Reitman who specializes in adolescent medicine, said he didn’t think the event encouraged particularly bad behavior.

‘‘I don’t think this promotes any type of bad behavior anymore than any other activity where you get a lot of boys together,” he said. ‘‘These are kids that are actually trying to put together a charity event. They are ultimately doing something good and you should commend them for that. It’s not the best judgment, but I don’t think it’s bad from a psycho-social standpoint.”

Moersen’s father, Leo Moersen, said he is proud of his son for organizing a charity event and doesn’t think the Burrito Mile is unsafe.

‘‘He’s put a tremendous amount of work into it and it looks like it’s going to raise a lot of money for charity,” Leo Moersen said. ‘‘I don’t have any problem with the event. I think it’s funny. I know some people complained about it, but it’s a lot less dangerous than other sports. It’s a lot less dangerous than football, probably less than soccer or basketball. I don’t think anyone’s going to break any bones or get injured. And the money is all going to charity.”

Lynch said another danger is that students may get caught up in the fun and excitement of the race and not realize that someone needs help.

‘‘A kid could actually die without anyone knowing about it,” he said. ‘‘Schools ought to be on the look out. If they get wind of it, they should stop it.”

As an alternative, Lynch suggested students should run an M&M mile, where runners would chew up an M&M and then run a mile. ‘‘I don’t think there’s anything sacrosanct about a burrito,” Lynch said. ‘‘If it’s just teenagers behaving on the edge, like drinking, it shouldn’t happen. If it’s truly for fundraising, an M&M should work just as well.”

But students say there is something special about burritos.

‘‘If you ask any high-schooler in Montgomery County what their favorite food is and where they go to hang out, it’s probably going to be a burrito joint,” Moersen said. ‘‘And we all eat a lot and we’re runners so why not combine it?”

Walter Johnson Student Government Association Vice President Scott Golden, 17, agreed that another food just wouldn’t have the same cachet. ‘‘Burritos are kind of like a cult thing, especially at Walter Johnson, and everyone loves burritos,” he said.

According to, www.burritomile.com, a Web site devoted to the Burrito Mile, the first Burrito Mile was held last March at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville. A 4X8urrito relay race was held at Gaithersburg High School in June. At each of those races, some vomiting did occur, but there were no reports of serious injuries or illness.