DENVER, CO – The city of Denver recently played host to a bit of an unorthodox ultramarathon earlier in October where participating runners were required to make pitstops along the way to nearly a dozen Taco Bell locations, with rules also governing that certain items be ordered along the lengthy run.
If food is considered fuel for the body, then marathon enthusiasts were certainly gassed up on October 3rd in Denver, where the eighth iteration of the International Taco Bell 50K run was held this time around. A website dedicated to the 31-mile race is quite aware of the absurdity of the challenge, highlighting a “DNF rate” (did not finish) which usurps the Leadville Trail 100 Run.
It's safe to say that the concept of consuming Taco Bell at vulnerable times makes for the butt of innumerable jokes, largely because there is a degree of truth behind what would spur the laughter at suggesting grabbing some of the Bell while on a lengthy road trip or before a big interview. The fact is that a menu revolving around fibrous refried beans, heavily seasoned ground beef, and a multitude of cheese can lead to an urgent trip to the restroom.
So, when taking the abovementioned into consideration, consuming a copious amount of Taco Bell while also attempting to complete a 31-mile run in under 11 hours seems like it could culminate in quite the gastrointestinal debacle. But as the aphorism goes, no guts, no glory.
According to the race rules featured on the Taco Bell 50K website, all participants must physically stop at 10 designated Taco Bell locations along the pathway and eat a menu item (drinks don’t count) from at least 9 locations. By the fourth stop, participants have to have ordered either a Chalupa Supreme or Crunchwrap Supreme, and by stop eight runners will have needed to consume either a Burrito Supreme or Nachos Bell Grande.
The rules/restrictions don’t end there either, as there is a strict prohibition on runners bringing along any sort of antacids or stomach relief medicines like Pepto or Alka Seltzer. Furthermore, the website says all runners who complete the endeavor “must keep all receipts and wrappers for confirmation of stupidity at the end of the run.”
For those who seemingly have a personal vendetta against their stomach, the race also harbors additional challenges reserved for Diablo sauce and Baja Blast enthusiasts, with the Diablo Challenge requiring runners “lather all items with Diablo sauce and do a Diablo shooter at the end,” and the Baja Blast Challenge requiring runners to drink at least 2 liters of the beverage throughout the race without vomiting.
While the ultramarathon is Taco Bell themed, the company itself is in no way affiliated with the annual event. The sentiments of Taco Bell or its parent company regarding the race aren’t clear, as the brand has yet to ever publicly comment on the comical event. Organizers of the race suspect the lack of comment from Taco Bell has to do with the company’s legal department harboring concerns over liability issues.
If food is considered fuel for the body, then marathon enthusiasts were certainly gassed up on October 3rd in Denver, where the eighth iteration of the International Taco Bell 50K run was held this time around. A website dedicated to the 31-mile race is quite aware of the absurdity of the challenge, highlighting a “DNF rate” (did not finish) which usurps the Leadville Trail 100 Run.
It's safe to say that the concept of consuming Taco Bell at vulnerable times makes for the butt of innumerable jokes, largely because there is a degree of truth behind what would spur the laughter at suggesting grabbing some of the Bell while on a lengthy road trip or before a big interview. The fact is that a menu revolving around fibrous refried beans, heavily seasoned ground beef, and a multitude of cheese can lead to an urgent trip to the restroom.
So, when taking the abovementioned into consideration, consuming a copious amount of Taco Bell while also attempting to complete a 31-mile run in under 11 hours seems like it could culminate in quite the gastrointestinal debacle. But as the aphorism goes, no guts, no glory.
According to the race rules featured on the Taco Bell 50K website, all participants must physically stop at 10 designated Taco Bell locations along the pathway and eat a menu item (drinks don’t count) from at least 9 locations. By the fourth stop, participants have to have ordered either a Chalupa Supreme or Crunchwrap Supreme, and by stop eight runners will have needed to consume either a Burrito Supreme or Nachos Bell Grande.
The rules/restrictions don’t end there either, as there is a strict prohibition on runners bringing along any sort of antacids or stomach relief medicines like Pepto or Alka Seltzer. Furthermore, the website says all runners who complete the endeavor “must keep all receipts and wrappers for confirmation of stupidity at the end of the run.”
For those who seemingly have a personal vendetta against their stomach, the race also harbors additional challenges reserved for Diablo sauce and Baja Blast enthusiasts, with the Diablo Challenge requiring runners “lather all items with Diablo sauce and do a Diablo shooter at the end,” and the Baja Blast Challenge requiring runners to drink at least 2 liters of the beverage throughout the race without vomiting.
While the ultramarathon is Taco Bell themed, the company itself is in no way affiliated with the annual event. The sentiments of Taco Bell or its parent company regarding the race aren’t clear, as the brand has yet to ever publicly comment on the comical event. Organizers of the race suspect the lack of comment from Taco Bell has to do with the company’s legal department harboring concerns over liability issues.
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