🌮 The Unofficial · Bay Area · Taco Bell Triathlon
6 Taco Bells. 1 Triathlon. 0 Sponsors.
“This is just me wanting to do something ridiculous for the sake of being ridiculous — and uh, eating a lot of tacos.”— Elliot Roth, Organizer
The Course
Pacifica to Mission Bay. Through Daly City, Sunset, Golden Gate Park, Inner Richmond, Little Saigon, and SoMa. Each stop fueled by the finest fast food on earth. The calories-per-dollar ratio is off the charts.
Pacific Ocean, Pacifica. Cold, choppy, and glorious. Course runs from Taco Bell to the creek, across the bay to Puerto27 Restaurant (Crespi Dr), then back. Wetsuit strongly recommended. Lifeguard swims with you.
Starts brutal (1,000ft climb out of Pacifica on Highway 1) then rewards you with the Great Highway. Through Daly City, Sunset, 4 laps of Golden Gate Park Polo Fields, Inner Richmond. Bring high-vis gear and lights.
From Inner Richmond through Little Saigon, ending at Taco Bell Cantina Mission Bay. Bikes locked in Uhaul and driven to finish line. Winner receives the Taco Crown. We are all winners here.
🌮 The 6 Taco Bell Aid Stations
5200 Highway 1, Pacifica, CA — 7:00am
The world’s most scenic Taco Bell. Perched on the beach with a surfer to-go window and wrap-around ocean views. This is where it all begins. Breakfast menu. Brief safety briefing. Then into the Pacific.
Daly City, CA — First bike waypoint
First stop after the climb out of Pacifica. You earned it. Directions →
Sunset, San Francisco, CA
Mid-bike refuel on the way through the Sunset before hitting the Great Highway. Directions →
Inner Richmond, San Francisco, CA — Lunch 11:30–12:30
After 4 laps of the Golden Gate Park Polo Fields, stop here for lunch. Lock bikes in the Uhaul. Begin run. Directions →
Tenderloin / Little Saigon, San Francisco, CA
Mid-run fuel stop. You are close. Do not stop now. Directions →
Mission Bay / SoMa, San Francisco, CA — 2:00pm
The finish line. Crunchwrap Supremes. Twisted Freezes. IPAs. Whiskey shots. Margaritas. Boozy Baja Freezes. The Taco Crown awarded to the winner. Bikes delivered from Uhaul. We are all winners here. Directions →
Race Map
The Rules
Gather at 7:00am sharp at Taco Bell Cantina, Pacifica. Look for someone wearing taco paraphernalia. That’s Elliot. We’ll do intros, share contact/location info, and go over safety. This is supposed to be fun. We don’t want anyone getting hurt. It’s also going to be ridiculous.
Swimming 7:30–8:00am. The Pacific is cold (~58°F) and often choppy. Bring a wetsuit, towel, and warming gear. We have a lifeguard swimming with the group. If surf is dangerously rough, we postpone the swim. Biggest risk is hypothermia — dress accordingly.
Biking 9:00–9:30am. Laminated direction printouts provided. Bring high-vis waterproof clothing, lights, tools for flats, water, and snacks. Elliot paces at the rear. Uhaul supports your gear and drives bikes to the finish.
You must eat Taco Bell at each stop. That’s the whole point. The calories per dollar — the CPD — is off the charts. Order something different at each location for the full experience. This is a supreme aid station.
Entry is pay-what-you-can. $25 donation suggested via Venmo. Includes a t-shirt if you donate. Taco Bell does not endorse this. Taco Bell does not know about this. Keep it that way.
This is unofficial. No streets are closed. No permits exist. No sponsors. Just five strangers (and counting) who saw a LinkedIn post and decided to swim in the Pacific Ocean before eating at six Taco Bells. As one does.
Press & Coverage
The Bold Italic
“Four sweaty but spritely guys in ragtag race gear (one wearing a ridiculous taco hat) ordering Crunchwrap Supremes, Twisted Freezes, IPAs, and whiskey shots.”
Read the Full Story →SF Funcheap
“A triathlon where you eat Taco Bell along the way — starting at the world’s most beautiful Taco Bell in Pacifica. Taco Bell giving you ‘the runs’ is now taking on a whole new meaning.”
Read the Full Story →Race Recap — 2024 Edition
Five strangers met on December 7, 2024 at the world’s most scenic Taco Bell. By 2pm they were toasting at Taco Bell Cantina Mission Bay with IPAs and whiskey shots, having swum the Pacific, biked 40 kilometers, and run 10km through San Francisco.
One participant — Ben — completed the entire course in sandals and carrying a bowstaff. No wetsuit. Sandals. Bowstaff. He finished.
— Caleb Roark, Knoxville TN, on whether he threw up or soiled himself during the race.
Third-place finisher Jake Keller found out about the race on LinkedIn. “Like the best LinkedIn post ever,” he said. The five athletes had never met before race day. They are now best friends forever, bonded by crunchwraps and shared suffering.
— Elliot Roth, Organizer
The next Taco Bell Triathlon is coming. RSVP now. Bring a wetsuit. Or don’t.