Post-race thoughts for future competitors:
Eating splits are the most important component. Our runners with 25+ minute 5k and sub 15 5K had very close times. Running splits are almost negligible. Regulate your heart and breathing rate the best you can. You need to be able to swallow quickly and easily, which is hard to do when breathing hard.
Covering each meal piece:
Drink (we required straws): is very quick. Everything goes down immediately with drink. Really just whatever your swallow speed is. Definitely easier on earlier eating splits, but most of our guys left it for last. Was quite heavy and some who went drink early had troubles with throwing up. Which we decided would be a disqualification.
Nuggets: 4 nuggets go down quite quick. Many guys went nuggets first, as you can get out on your first lap with the first large pack. Across the board most people said nuggets were quick.
Fries: Were very, very dry. Which translates to slow times. We did not allow dipping sauces for the fries, so they were hard to get down. Many people went fries first to get it out of the way. Also have the struggle of cold fingers grabbing each one, and just dropping them in general. We kept each item in the bag (except drink). So, fries were easiest first where you already had them in your hands, or when they were the last thing in the bag, so you could easily get to all of them. Just holding the bag in the eating zone.
Burger: Do not sleep on Burger! You cannot let the look or taste of burger compromise your speed. Many guys hated burger so much and just did not have the desire to eat it, let alone eat it fast. Honestly, I don't get it though, you cannot let the taste of something end your run, it's a competition. You got to give it your all. People who went all in on burger understood its advantage. Burger was actually decently fast. The sauce on burger worked as a lubricant. Not insanely fast, but definitely much, much faster than expected.
Overall Strategy: Set your food order before the race. Go get a 4 for 4 a couple days before. Choose your projected eating order and do a practice. Get heart rate up with jumping jacks then eat each piece of the meal. Time each one if wanted or just go off feel. Take 90 seconds of jumping jacks in-between each one to simulate a lap. By the end you will know which pieces are easiest for you. Then change your order if needed to your strategy on race day based off these results. A majority of our team went with the harder pieces early to get them out of the way, and finish with some speed. Examples: Fries, Burger, nuggets, Drink OR Fries, nuggets, Burger, Drink (Alternate idea nuggets, fries, burger, Drink). Some went with Drink somewhere in the middle, but personally I am very much against this, as it is a fast final eating split, and made me want to throw up the most. Drink also sets up clutch potential as theoretically fastest possible, because it could all just slide down. Then you can nuke final lap and throw up just as you cross finish line (throwing up afterwards was allowed). You do not need to stay on contact through lap 2 just good solid laps. A slower heart rate translating to faster eating time is more valuable. Lap 3 you need to fight off anyone trying to edge you, and if needed make up ground. Final lap, GET HOME. If it's a cold enough day, a few guys went with gloves. Could take them off for eating, then while getting your final chewing in, put them back on.
Oh, last thing: Have fun. This thing was a blast!