Is the Taco Bell ultra marathon the toughest event in sports and why is the answer a resounding yes?

Fox News ^ | October 1, 2026 | Matt Reigle

[Twotone]

There may be longer races, and there may be more prestigious races, but none require the intestinal fortitude — in the most literal sense — needed to complete the International Taco Bell 50k.

The 9th annual edition of the ultra marathon in Denver gets underway this weekend, and it will see runners traversing just over 30 miles, while making pit stops at a minimum of nine of the ten Taco Bell locations along the route where they must order a menu item and finish it.

And better yet, it's not sanctioned by the company. They're just out there for the love of the game.

Of course, my first thought was that there has to be a way to go easy on the food, but the rules require competitors to eat some serious heavy hitters.

Drinks do not count as food, and all competitors have to eat a Chalupa Supreme or Crunchwrap Supreme by the fourth stop. By the eighth stop, they have to have polished off a Burrito Supreme or Nachos Bell Grande, but other than that, it's fair game.

Just finish in 11 hours without puking or using any on-course Pepto, Alka-Seltzer, Pepcid A/C, Mylanta, and congratulations, you've completed a race with a higher DNF rate than the 100-mile Leadville 100 Trail Race.

[meyer]

Note to self - when eating Taco Bell, be sure that the nearest restroom is a lot closer than 26.2 miles.

[Vaduz]

Funny