The Taco Bell 50K—a novelty ultramarathon whose participants run 31.07 miles while eating at least nine Taco Bell menu items—will be back in 2026. Why? Apparently folks really liked it. Last fall, the race drew around 500 runners, 429 of whom finished. One finisher was nine years old. This year, the race will be held on November 27, the day after Thanksgiving. Its website urges anyone who is “interested in trying out something really stupid” to sign up, and promises that “SURVIVORS earn eternal glory (and maybe heartburn).” Completing the Taco Bell 50K takes between four and 11 hours, which includes stops at nine Taco Bell locations across DC and Virginia. By the fourth stop, runners must have eaten at least one Crunchwrap Supreme or Chalupa Supreme. By the eighth, runners must have also eaten a Nachos BellGrande or a Burrito Supreme. Pepto Bismol is banned. Reports of nausea abound. “It’s back, and maybe bigger than ever,” says Mike Wardian, a local endurance athlete who’s one of the event’s organizers. He called last year’s race a “roving party” and said he loved the community—particularly the number of first-time ultramarathoners, for whom this was an on-ramp to the sport. Co-organizer Phil Hargis texted that despite the Taco Bell 50K being a “terrible idea,” this year’s race will be a “piñata of fun and deliciousness.” In addition to challenging stomachs and legs across the region, the Taco Bell 50K will raise money for charity. Last year, it benefited the DC chapter of Achilles International.   Wardian’s advice to runners who are interested in (or horrified by) the Taco Bell 50K is to “just sign up and try it.” He also urges participants to get acclimated to the feeling of running after eating a burrito, which apparently “feels pretty terrible for the first couple miles, but if you can fight off the discomfort for 15 or 20 minutes, then all of a sudden you get a big surge of energy.” Running an ultramarathon while eating oodles of fast food is an “acquired skill,” he acknowledges—but at least you have eight months to train.The post The Taco Bell 50K Is Back, for Some Reason first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less