Running 31 Miles on Taco Bell: DC's Most Unconventional Ultra
Nearly 1,000 runners from 25 states and Washington, D.C. will spend their post-Thanksgiving Saturday attempting something ambitious and unconventional: running 31 miles through Northern Virginia and DC while eating at nine different Taco Bell locations.
The inaugural Taco Bell DC 50K kicks off at 8:00 a.m. on November 29 from the Taco Bell Cantina in Alexandria. Runners have 11 hours to complete the challenge, with mandatory menu items at each stop including at least one Crunchwrap Supreme or Chalupa Supreme by the fourth location, and a Burrito Supreme or Nachos Bell Grande by the eighth.
Performance-enhancing drugs—Pepto-Bismol, Alka-Seltzer, Tums—are banned.
What started as a group chat idea between local ultrarunners Phil Hargis and Mike Wardian exploded into something neither expected.
"We thought that 30 or 40 people at most would sign up," Hargis said. "Then all of a sudden within the first day we had more than that. The registration was fast and furious and it was immediately viral."
The DC race takes inspiration from Colorado's International Taco Bell 50K Ultramarathon, which has earned a reputation for breaking runners. Its Did Not Finish rate exceeds 50%—higher than the notoriously brutal Leadville 100 Trail Race.
But for Hargis and Wardian, the measure of success has nothing to do with finish rates.
"Everyone has fun, no one gets hurt, everyone treats everyone with respect and kindness, and we leave the Taco Bells better than we found them," Wardian said. "If we have a nice day and we just have a fun 11 hours together doing something that is a little silly and fun, that would be a success for me."
Hargis echoed the sentiment: "I just want everyone to be safe and have fun, and if that happens, I'm gonna be stoked. Even if it's only 10 people that come, that's still a success for me."
What is a Fat Ass Race?
Part of what makes the Taco Bell 50K accessible is its format: the "Fat Ass" race. These events are typically low-profile, free, and informal, with minimal on-course support. Veterans will tell you they're glorified group runs, not races—but they're uncommon in DC.
"It's pretty common in the ultra community to just show up and do a 50K or 50 miler without a lot of fanfare or an entry fee or anything, but to see something like this on streets, is not something that happens in DC," Wardian said. "What I'm hoping that a lot of people get out of this is that they learn that they can do these types of things and they get a lot of freedom and a lot of self reliance, which I'm excited about, because it just means we're going to have more people out there doing cool stuff."
The format removes the pressure of racing for time. Runners can walk when needed, take breaks between Taco Bell stops, and design their own routes between the nine mandatory locations. With 11 hours to cover roughly 31 miles, the math allows for a walking pace.
"One of the best things is [the race] is super inclusive," Wardian said. "We want people to be able to do it that are high level elite, that are going to try to go fast, but we also want it to be something that if you're just like, this sounds like fun and I've never run a marathon before, but I think I could probably walk 30 miles in 11 hours, you can take part too."
The Taco Bell DC 50K Rules
To earn a finish, runners must hit all nine Taco Bell locations in any order they choose and eat at least one menu item at each stop. By the fourth location, they must have consumed either a Crunchwrap Supreme or Chalupa Supreme. By the eighth stop, they need to add a Burrito Supreme or Nachos Bell Grande to their total intake.
Drinks don't count toward the food requirements, but Wardian cautioned that runners should hydrate properly and consider consuming calories beyond Taco Bell throughout the day.
The banned substances list reads like a medicine cabinet: Pepto-Bismol, Alka-Seltzer, Pepcid A/C, and Mylanta are all prohibited. Runners must keep their receipts and wrappers as proof, so bring a plastic bag.
Runners can see the full list of rules and helpful tips on the website.
The Organizers
Wardian and Hargis have been running and working together since 2011.
Wardian ran across the country from San Francisco to Rehoboth Beach in 2022, holds numerous Fastest Known Times, and has top place finishes at races across the country. He'll be out on the course Saturday with the other runners.
Hargis ran his first Marine Corps Marathon in 2006 and is also an ambitious ultrarunner. As a professional event planner, he has provided logistical support for many of Wardian's high-profile challenges. He completed a reconnaissance run the weekend before the race to scout the locations and alert the Taco Bell stores about what's coming. On Saturday, he'll be waiting at the finish line.
"I want to see everybody come running down Pitt Street and turn left onto King Street and see that Taco Bell, see them smiling and holding their arms up in the air, high-fiving, and then hearing the story about how great the day was."
For many of the participants, this will be their first ultra or their first Fat Ass race. That's exactly what the organizers hoped for.
"We want as many people to come out and take part and have fun, and just get that buzz of being in a crowd of people doing something silly," Wardian said.
We will have a dispatch from the Taco Bell 50K in next week’s newsletter. If you’re out there for the run, finisher or not, I want to hear about your experience! Drop me a line: bretteland@gmail.com
