Photo © Danny Raustadt | Dreamstime.com
Endurance racing isn’t for weenies but it apparently is for tacos. At least it is during the Taco Bell 50K, an event that (apparently) began in Denver but is morphing nationwide.
The race has a novel premise. Participants must journey (on foot, fast) between a specific number of Taco Bell restaurants (yes, they of the chihuahua that says Yo Quiero Taco Bell), ordering and eating at least one item from each one, within 10 hours.
And let’s get this out of the way right up front: Taco Bell does not sponsor, affiliate with, present, endorse or otherwise play a formal role in this race — although the chain’s food and rest rooms obviously come into play.
Race organizers lay out the route, including all stops, and often specify which items must be ordered (often in a certain order). It’s up to participants to follow the map and eat fast food (see what we did there?) while keeping in mind that side dishes don’t count as an order unto themselves and neither do drinks.
Some races have eight Taco Bell stops. Some have nine, some seven — and as the race continues to spread, expect other permutations. Your actual mileage may vary but either you stop at each location, consuming one item (and saving the wrappers or receipts in a bag for proof at the finish line) "otherwise you stink," say the rules illustrated here.
Oh, and the rules stated, “Must say thank you and voice appreciation for employees at each location."
Some races, like the recent one in San Diego, had some optional challenges built in:
- Diablo Challenge: Each item eaten must be drenched in Diablo sauce
- Baja Blast Challenge: Consume at least two liters of Baja Blast during the course.
For those who don’t regularly dine at Taco Bell, Diablo sauce is the hottest offered by the franchise, with estimated heat index ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), roughly equivalent to a fresh cayenne or serrano pepper. (Thankfully not a Carolina Reaper pepper, which packs a 2.69 million SHU punch.)
Some races feature mandatory Diablo Sauce shots with that challenge.
Baja Blast, according to our good friends in the internet, is a tropical lime-flavored variant of Mountain Dew, featuring a distinct teal color. It is known for its sweet, citrus-lime taste and is available in fountain soda, zero-sugar, and frozen "Freeze" forms.
So, yeah. Food drenched in hot sauce and/or food washed down with two liters of blue-green soda. Then just keep running.
The media coverage has been nothing short of hilarious:
- The Taco Bell 50K Is Back, for Some Reason
- Dude Wins Inaugural San Diego 50K Taco Bell Ultra Marathon And Captures Everlasting Glory Along The Way
- The ‘Taco Bell 50K’ is the World’s Most Hellish Sporting Event
Some races, according to MSN, which covered the race in Minneapolis, had rules that stated that consuming Pepto Bismol, as well as vomiting and taking bathroom breaks were all allowed.
The DC version of the race, by contrast, warned participants that “vomiting was allowed but discouraged,” and that racers could not take Pepto-Bismol, Alka Seltzer, Pepcid AC or Mylanta on the course.
Mr. Rogers voice: Can you say diabolical? I knew you could.
There is no set calendar for this race. The Denver race runs in October. The DC race was in November. The San Diego event went off in April. Other races have run in spring and summer.
It would seem logical that these races would attract fairly small groups of runners (which would be in line with many endurance races; it is, after all, a specialized discipline) — but that’s not always the case. The race in DC drew upwards of 500 people.
Yes. Even though argument can be made that the concept of running, eating and barfing would appeal to a rather select group.
Is this a trend in the marking? Should event owners be aware of this? An article in Brobible certainly makes a case for it.
“I have a feeling this race will explode in popularity next year as word gets out that there’s now a Taco Bell Ultra Marathon in San Diego, albeit an unofficial one with no proper affiliation with Taco Bell.”
This seems to be the year for news about challenging your limits. Just after the turn of the New Year, the word came out about a triathlon in Antarctica, which included a swim in 32-degree water.
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