They can handle 31 miles fueled solely on Chalupas and Baja Blast – but running the route is only half the battle. 

“Running is for everyone,”  according to Taco Bell 50K co-founder Dan Zolnikov.

And those who run in marathons are thought to be in peak physical condition.  

But to outsiders, running 50K (31 miles), especially when you know Taco Bell is in the title of the race, might have people asking: “Why on earth would anybody do that?”  

There isn’t just a hunger for Taco Bell tacos, or apparently adventure either, but also a desire to tow the line between insanity and greatness.   

Ultramarathon runners are a different breed, and the comradery of the community is the secret “Diablo Sauce” that pushes individuals forward.  

Unfolding the Taco Bell 50K lore layer by layer

In 2016, Zolnikov was training for his first 50-mile race, running through the streets of Denver with fellow runner friend Mike Oliva, using farmer’s markets as aid stations.  

 During their run, Oliva stopped at a Taco Bell location to use the restroom. When he came out, he jokingly suggested that during next week’s run, instead of stopping at farmer’s markets, they should use Taco Bells as aid stations.  

“I never really thought about this going beyond the 5-10 people that I know in my run group,” Zolnikov said. “I absolutely never was able to foresee what this was able to become.”  

Zolnikov and Oliva, along with their friend Jason Romero, all belonged to a small running group called Achilles Denver. The group would meet on Mondays to help guide and support runners through their journey of participating in endurance events.  

At the time, the three friends had not put much thought into turning their fun run into the Taco Bell 50K. But they found fire for the event when Romero reached out and finally helped put the plans into motion.  

“Jason suggested that if we got more people, that we should start to seek donations for Achilles,” Zolnikov said. “One day Jason calls me up and says he has people that want to come out and run in this Taco Bell 50K idea that you have. Put a course together, find Taco Bells, pick a weekend, (and) let’s stop talking about it and let’s do it.”  

They gathered to put together a route for the run and set out through the streets of Denver with some friends from Achilles for their first Taco Bell 50K in 2018.   

What came to be: A run that helps you go the distance  

After their first year, the three men saw the traction the event had created after going viral on several social media platforms.  

They created a website with official race rules as well as registration.  

“What’s great about Achilles is that 100% of any proceeds we receive in donations go to our athletes,” Zolnikov said. “We don’t have any overhead or fees, so all the proceeds we get go directly to our athletes to help pay for race admissions, shoes, or any type of running equipment that they need.”  

The Taco Bell 50K pushes the boundaries of insanity and greatness with a set of race rules that tests even the strongest stomachs and well-seasoned ultrarunners.   

The route is a 31-mile loop laid out between nine different Taco Bell locations in Denver, with the start and stop Taco Bell being at the same location.   

The Taco Bell locations are as follows:   

1. Taco Bell 447 S Broadway Denver  

2. Taco Bell 1265 S Colorado Blvd, Denver  

3. Taco Bell 350 S Federal Blvd, Denver  

4. Taco Bell 165 S Sheridan Blvd, Lakewood  

5. Taco Bell 1911 Sheridan Boulevard, Edgewater  

6. Taco Bell 1775 E Colfax Ave, Denver  

7. Taco Bell 5225 E Colfax Ave, Denver  

8. Taco Bell 7150 Leetsdale Dr Unit J, Denver  

9. Taco Bell 6460 E Yale Ave Unit B, Denver  

10. Taco Bell 447 S Broadway Denver  

Rules require runners stop at all Taco Bell locations along the route, order and consume at least one menu item at nine of the 10 stops, including consuming at least one Chalupa Supreme or one Crunchwrap Supreme by the fourth location, and at least one Burrito Supreme or one Nachos Bell Grande by the eighth location.    

Additional challenges like the Baja Blast challenge and a Diablo challenge up the ante for those brave enough to try it, according to the race’s website.  

Registration for the Taco Bell 50K is free -– one of few ultramarathons that doesn’t require a race fee — and the option to donate to Achilles Denver is strongly encouraged.   

“It is a free race, but what they do stand for is awesome,” first-time Taco Bell 50K runner Brice Otto said. “In giving back to the community with this race and asking for donations and supporting a great charity that has a local chapter in Denver is something that’s a good enough reason to try this.”  

For those who have signed up for the race, running for a cause is part of what makes the race worth running because marathons and ultrarunning are largely about community support at their core.   

However, the biggest challenge for runners on Oct. 4 isn’t just the distance. It’s also the required diet to complete the race, with a battle between the mind and body happening while on course.  

A Runner’s “Why”

Marathoners and ultrarunners alike will say the hardest thing about the race isn’t the distance, but rather the games that your mind plays while you’re out on the route. 

“I could be 30 miles in and feel like my day is done, and then all of a sudden, 10 miles later I’m feeling fresh as a daisy,” Russell House, who is also running the Taco Bell 50K for the first time this year, said. “You get those peaks and valleys multiple times.” 

Many runners cite their experience with comradery during the race as a reason for returning to the race, like an endless loop of suffering and joy. 

Louisa Paul, who ran the Taco Bell 50K for the first time in 2023 and currently is on the race’s race committee, was in the midst of navigating the loss of a good friend when she signed up for her first race. 

“At that time, I think I had run one 5K or one 10K and the longest I had ever run was 11 miles at that point,” Paul said. “The group was just super nice. There were eight people that year. When we got to mile six, they were like ‘hey, I think you can do more’.”   

Paul will be competing in her third race in 2025. 

First-time runner Brice Otto weighed in what he thinks the Taco Bell 50K race will be like. 

“There’s nothing like hearing random people at 7:30 in the morning with cowbells, dressed up in goofy costumes, holding up all the signs that people make, that goes a long, long way.” Otto said, “Otherwise if you are just running 50K by yourself, that’s truly a big mental game and having that community behind you relieves that mental aspect of it.”  

Now it’s your turn to run your first Ultra 

The Taco Bell 50K is for everyone and the three founders will stand by that sentiment.  

Anyone and everyone are invited to participate in the Taco Bell 50K; all you have to do is RSVP.  

Once you enter the race, beware. “ONCE YOU RSVP, YOU ARE IN. THIS IS LIKE THE GOBLET OF FIRE,” according to the Taco Bell 50K website.

And there will be no on-course Pepto, Alka Seltzer, Pepcid A/C or Mylanta allowed (but notably Imodium is safe, thankfully).  

The Taco Bell 50K starts at 7:30 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Taco Bell on South Broadway and West Alaska Pl.