The Twin Cities Taco Bell 50k: Nacho Average Marathon event made a bold return to the metro May 31 with 86 registered runners from all over the country. Border Foods sponsored the event and our very own Evan Hatton, Business Intelligence Analyst, participated with supreme enthusiasm in the challenge: Run and eat Taco Bell at your own pace (but finish by 6:30 pm)!

The Twin Cities 50k event is only in its second year. Evan heard about it on Instagram and it piqued his interest. “I had to since it combines two passions of mine: running and Taco Bell,” Evan confesses.

I love how Border can be a sponsor and interact with the community in this way.

– Evan Hatton, Business Intelligence Analyst 

The Twin Cities Taco Bell 50k is no small feat – gastric training is highly recommended! For participation to count (and to get a medal), participants are required to eat one food item at each of the seven Border Foods Taco Bells along the route, including one Crunchwrap and one burrito. 

We checked in with Evan before and after the race to get the lowdown on his training and reflections. He gave us a full account of his race day eats: Breakfast Burrito, Cinnabon Delights, a Hash Brown, Cinnamon Twists, Cheesy Rollups and a Crunchwrap Supreme!

Evan finished the 50k in five hours and 30 minutes. He’s not sure he’ll do it again, but happy to check it off his bucket list. Here are more highlights from our pre- and post-race interviews!

Pre-Event Planning

Q: Are you an avid runner?

A: I am. I ran cross country and track in college, and my wife and I currently coach cross country and track at a local high school. I still run the occasional race like Grandma’s Marathon in 2024 and just this last April, I ran the Elm Creek Backyard Ultra.

Q: The race is sold out! How’s it feel to be a part of this?

A: [It] feels exclusive! Not many people can say they have run a 50k race, much less while having to eat Taco Bell during it.

Q: Given this involves running and eating, how are you training for this?

A: I am not running as much as I should be to prepare for a 31-mile race, but I still get runs in when I can. Preparing for the Backyard Ultra earlier this year helped me get used to eating while running.

Q: As a runner, how do you get into the mindset of not achieving a PR for this event?

A: I am coming into the race just excited to have fun and being able to finish. No one knows what a “good” time is for a 50k with seven Taco Bell stops!

This experience brought a lot of joy into the community, and that’s something I think we need more of these days.

– Julie Knopp, Event Organizer

Post-Event Reality Check

Q: Well, how did it go?!
A: Mixed bag. I felt great the first 13 miles, average the next seven miles, but the last 11 were truly a grind. Happy I did it though!

Q: What was your biggest challenge heading into race day? 

A: Lack of training. Stomach was good throughout and not an issue. But I admittedly hadn’t run much since my other ultra race six weeks ago and my whole body was sore the last third of the race.

Q: Any surprises along the way? 

A: Aid stations throughout helped – just seeing people and having them cheer me on. I also don’t usually run down by the lakes or on the Midtown Greenway Trail, so it was fun to run in a new place.

Q: What was the best part of your day? 

A: Seeing my wife and kids at various stops throughout was the highlight and really kept me going. Also seeing the final Taco Bell at the end was a relief!

Border Foods’ EmpowHER women’s initiative celebrates its third year with another round of impactful programming ahead. We kicked things off with a full-day workshop at Rush Creek Golf Course focused on confidence, courageous conversations and self advocacy.

EmpowHER is about inspiring women to grow and connect.

-Teri Staggemeyer, VP of Finance/Accounting, EmpowHER Co-founder

Perhaps the biggest indicator that our women are embracing EmpowHER is that we’ve outgrown our meeting space and had to move off site! Sixty incredible women from around Border Foods participated in this workshop  – doubling attendance from the group’s launch in 2024. New this year, we brought General Managers (GMs) and Market Training Managers (MTMs) into the attendee mix.

First-time attendee and Payroll Specialist Kyra Hennek says of her experience, “I love getting to listen to people who have been in the industry for a long time, who were pioneers in terms of female leadership. A lot of their stories are really inspirational — it inspires confidence as I move forward in my own career.”

On HER Agenda

Our day began with discussions about understanding our impact on others. Next, VP of Finance & Accounting Teri Staggemeyer and HR Business Partner Corrine Kindred presented on “borrowed courage” versus “owned courage,” and the power of our voices.

Corrine then passed the mic to guest speaker Jini Foust – Chief Operating Officer of Team Lyders (another leading Taco Bell franchisee) – who provided an engaging account of her lengthy career in QSR, which started with a role as McDonald’s first drive-thru cashier in Montana and continued very successfully (and dramatically – she moved eight times for Taco Bell!) for going on three decades.

It’s not easy to be in this world as a woman.

– Jini Foust, Team Lyders COO

Jini spoke eloquently on her own leadership journey, women’s impact and influence, and the importance of advocating for ourselves in the workplace. Her top tips for female success are:

• Establish credibility;
• Be great at what you do;
• Become a subject matter expert;
• Have the tough conversations – they lead to change;
• Speak up for yourself; and
• Don’t assume people know you want to advance, you’ve got to tell them!

Next, Business Coach Carolien Moors turned up the volume, inspiring all our women to yell collectively, “My voice and actions matter!” She introduced a small group activity focused around topics like taking more initiative, speaking up and adopting small behaviors to increase personal influence in the workplace. Finally, the group was encouraged to develop their own impact plans.

Overall, it was a powerful day to inspiHER! Rising attendance and engagement are only fuel for this brilliant fire. Area Coach Amanda Hobbs reinforces why EmpowHER is making such an enormous impact. “Border Foods’ understanding that women are a core part of the company makes me feel seen … and heard,” she says. That’s why we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing!

What event involves Taco Bell, edible medals and 31+ miles? If you answered, the Taco Bell 50K event, you’d be correct! On May 31, 50 participants ran 31+ miles through the Twin Cities metro with seven stops at Border Foods’ Taco Bell restaurants along the way! 

Described as “nacho average marathon,” the course took participants on a loop through the Twin Cities, beginning at our Taco Bell in Bloomington, MN and ending in St. Paul. Stops along the run included Taco Bells in Richfield, Edina and Minneapolis. 

This quirky ultra is all about combining fitness, food and fun!

Julie Knopp is the runner behind the Twin Cities version of this race, and says her goal was for the day to be “as weird and magical as possible.” In keeping with that mission, unconventional race packets included Taco Bell-themed stickers and race bibs, hot sauce packets, and temporary “Run Más” tattoos. How far-reaching is this Taco Bell-themed race lore? One runner flew in from Alaska just for this event!

Huge shoutout to the small but mighty volunteer team that made the first ever Twin Cities Taco Bell 50K possible! There was a makeshift aid station between two of the stops, where a person dressed in a taco costume could be seen handing out water, Gatorade and fruit. 

Speaking of food, one might wonder how a person can run over 31 miles while taking taco breaks. The key to completing a Taco Bell 50K run successfully was to eat light food between stops, like Cinnamon Twists and Cheesy Roll Ups — nothing too heavy on the stomach. There are two food items participants were required to eat before completing the race: one Burrito and a Crunchwrap. Once participants crossed the finish line, racers were awarded with taco-flavored cookie medals.

While this is the first time this run has been hosted in Minnesota, there is one in Denver, CO that has been running (pun intended!) for some time. Will they be crazy enough to do it again in 2026? Stay tuned!

Gender equality isn’t a new thing at Border Foods. After all, we’ve had leading ladies at our head table for decades, including Sharla Hennek, Gay Demaree, and the late Carol Williams.

But this year, we proudly take it to the next level with a new women’s initiative entitled EmpowHER, thanks to Teri Staggemeyer, Border Foods’ Vice President of Finance and Accounting. 

“We’re ahead of the game when it comes to male/female leadership,” Teri says. “What we need to focus on is building confidence. Some women tend to go silent in certain environments.” 

EmpowHER is designed to empower and elevate the skills of current women leaders. 

Teri, who’s been with the company for six years, shares how EmpowHER was ultimately born out of her own desire for more support. She says she reached out to Sharla, as a female peer at Border Foods, to get some time on the calendar to talk about leadership, and managing the never-ending demands of work and family. That was in February 2024.

“I was having some struggles,” Teri shares. “I had great male leadership around me, but sometimes it takes a different view … or different conversations. I wanted to know if I was alone or if these were some of the same struggles that other women were going through.”

Discussions between Teri and Sharla helped Teri realize if she was needing these types of conversations, other female leaders at Border Foods probably were, too. The bond between the two has launched an initiative that will now benefit many!

“It’s important to us to help develop leadership,” Teri says.

Teri and Sharla put their ideas in writing, drafting a formal proposal. Sharla presented on EmpowHER to company leadership. With leadership support, an engagement survey was emailed to more than 90 female above restaurant leaders (ARL) and office women to assess interest level.

EmpowHER Takes Off

The survey confirmed that many of Border Foods’ rising women were, in fact, interested in networking, group learning, and stronger work relationships. Thirty women submitted responses. Good reason to launch EmpowHER!

In May 2024, 26 of our fantastic female leaders came together for an engaging EmpowHER kickoff event.

“It was a pretty fun day,” Teri says of EmpowHER’s first in-person event. The inaugural gathering focused on defining leadership, personal branding and helping participants identify their individual leadership style. Business Coach Carolien Moors facilitated part of the discussion, helping keep the conversation meaningful and productive.

EmpowHER is about effective communication, equal voices, and strong female leadership.

Teri says the goal for the first meeting was just getting women together and comfortable talking, and to begin building and strengthening relationships.

“We’ve got to get people on board,“ Teri says. “I was very happy to see 30 women interested.”

Attendees received Neil Pasricha’s journaling book, “Two Minute Mornings: A Journal to Win Your Day Every Day.” Teri says the main message here is, take a little time in your day to focus on the positive, recalibrate and be intentional.

What’s Next

EmpowHER will reconvene August 6 for this year’s second and final event. Our more than 90 female (ARL) and office women have been invited to attend! Topics will include building self-confidence and women stereotypes.

In 2025, Teri says there will be two meetings planned and several group activities sprinkled throughout the year. While the specifics are still being developed, the EmpowHER wish list includes a possible mentorship program, outside speakers, workshops and webinars, and more.