THERE’S REALLY A TACO BELL 50K ULTRAMARATHON WHERE YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO PUKE
Somehow, I missed this year’s iteration of the Taco Bell 50k Ultramarathon, where one of the keys to winning means you don’t puke before the finish line. I can vaguely remember doing workouts in my youth where not puking was a badge of honor. But I’ve never heard of a marathon where this was a formal criterion. Yet this is a real event, and it happened this year almost two weeks ago and I had no clue! But don’t worry, if you’re already enthusiastic (though I’d have no idea why!) it’s going to happen again for the 8th(!) time next Fall, on October 3rd, 2026. But as you’re at least morbidly curious now, it’s time to answer the question: what is this “don’t puke” race?
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PARTICIPANTS RUN 50K IN 11 HOURS, WITH 9 FOOD CHALLENGE STOPS AT DIFFERENT TACO BELL LOCATIONS
Well, it obviously involves running 50k, or a little over 31 miles. But it also involves quite a bit of eating with all that running, which is where the “don’t puke” theme comes into play for anyone who still has a colon. So where is this race? Denver, Colorado, where participants run thru the dedicated streets that involves marathon visits to no less than 10 different Taco Bell locations. There’s a time limit, of course, of 11 hours to go the distance. But 9 of those 10 stops involve food challenges. That’s right, you run, eat, run, eat, run, eat, run, eat, run, eat, run, eat, run, eat, run, eat, run, and eat one last time.
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IF YOU PUKE, YOU’RE OUT, AND TACO BELL WON’T ALLOW CHEATING WITH MYLANTA OR THE LIKE
And not puking, at all, is part of the challenging fun. And there’s no cheating allowed! So no one can use things like Mylanta or Pepsi-Bismal. But personally I kind of wonder if THC could help with the nausea. Well, and an inspired appetite. But this Taco Bell 50k “Don’t Puke” Ultramarathon isn’t for the faint of heart. In the 7 annual events to date, lots and lots of “runners” drop out from various stomach problems like bloating, problems with continence (yes, really), and the afore-oft-mentioned puking. This year’s event on October 4th drew about 700 people taking the challenge!
Do you have the guts, which really means the stomach lining, to go for it yourself next year?
