How can something be both a great idea and one of the worst ideas at the same time? Well, that’s exactly what the Taco Bell 50k Ultra is.
For those of you who don’t know what the Taco Bell 50k is, let me explain…
You have to run 50 kilometers, or 31 miles. The route takes you through Denver where you must stop at 10 Taco Bell restaurants along the course…and eat a menu item from at least nine of those.
According to the event website, the Taco Bell 50k “boasts a higher DNF rate than the famed Leadville 100 Trail Race.” Insane.
Here are the official rules:
For most, 31 miles would be a no-go. Add the requirement to consume nine Taco Bell menu items, and that’s a recipe for disaster (insert Joanna Wietrzyk joke here).
Jamie G (@gatchmo) summed up his experience this way,
“There were so many ups and downs for this one…physically, mentally, and gastronomically. Taco Bell’s 5 and 6 were the absolute low point for food. Everything tasted the same, and I easily could have thrown up 🤢 the run to Taco Bell stop 9 was the mental low point. Due to a strategic error, we ran out of water and proceeded to slog through the pain cave. We rebounded at stop 9 and powered through to the end, despite tired legs. We kept our pact to stay together and all finished. We weren’t fast, but we weren’t last! Surviving, not thriving…”
There were also some familiar faces you might recognize…like the Buttery Bros and Tommy Marquez (I wonder what Tommy is doing these days?)
If the Taco Bell 50k sounds like something you’d be interested in, unfortunately you missed it this year as it was this past weekend. However, go follow @tb50k on Instagram so you can prepare (as best as possible) for next year’s run.
