The 50K Taco Bell Ultramarathon In Denver Is Not For The Faint Of Heart But Offers A Chance At Everlasting Glory

Endurance athletes are built different. It is not enough for them to simply push their bodies to the point of exhaustion and failure, they have to invent new methods of torture for themed races like the annual 50K Taco Bell Ultramarathon in Denver, Colorado which took place last weekend.

This 50 kilometer race, or just a hair over 31 miles, weaves throughout Denver with the runners stopping at ten area Taco Bell locations to eat and drink staples like Baja Blast, Crunchwrap Supremes, and more.

The race itself is said to have a higher DNF (did not finish) rate than the famed Leadville 100 Trail Race due in large part to the toll Taco Bell takes on the body. That’s not to say that marathon runners cannot handle junk food. Nerds Gummy Clusters are the latest trend in the endurance sports world for quick bursts of carbs. But Taco Bell has a reputation for what it does to digestive systems and tacking on 31 miles while eating 10 Taco Bell meals is just wild.

Recapping The 50K Taco Bell Ultramarathon In Denver

The full race loop throughout Denver can be seen here on Strava. It was mapped out specifically to hit 10 Taco Bell locations throughout Denver because the runners must eat at 9 of the 10 locations.

Throughout the run, the marathoners must eat a Chalupa or Crunchwrap Supreme and a Burrito Supreme or Nachos BellGrande as a requirement. They are allowed to stop to use the bathroom at one (1) location that is off the race course. And they are encouraged, maybe even rewarded, for loading up on Baja Blast at each stop and lathering their food in Taco Bell’s Diablo sauce.

Over 1,200 people signed up for this year’s 50K Taco Bell Ultramarathon in Denver, a new record. The race continues to grow in popularity each year due in large part to videos like these ones below going viral on TikTok and Instagram.

Runners Living Mas

One thing I’ve noticed about all of these 50K Taco Bell Ultramarathon recap clips are how the runners start out so upbeat. Then they slowly slip into despair from eating so much Taco Bell.

Running a 50K course on a Saturday morning is tough enough without Living Mas! Ali here points out that if runners throw up from the Taco Bell they are disqualified:

There are no rules about how you drink your Baja Blast. If you want to funnel it like you’re back in college, there’s nothing stopping you from doing that. All of that carbonation might explode in your stomach but that’s a problem for later in the day.

Could you complete the 50K Taco Bell Ultramarathon? Do you have the sickness within you that pushes endurance athletes to wake up hours before dawn every day and push their bodies to limits normal people could ever imagine? Let us know in the Facebook comments!