These ultramarathoners are running 31 miles in one day to 10 Waukesha Kwik Trip locations

Everyone knows Wisconsinites love their Kwik Trip.

But these Kwik Trip enthusiasts, who also happen to be ultramarathon and trail runners, are preparing to take their love for the gas station to a new level.

Members of the TJM Nation Facebook group, a listener-run community for fans of the Midwest-based trail running podcast "Ten Junk Miles," plan to run 50 kilometers in one day (about 31 miles for the uninitiated) while stopping at 10 Waukesha-area Kwik Trip locations along the way. Instead of carrying food or stopping at water stations, these runners will fuel their journey with Kwik Trip favorites, including cinnamon rolls, spicy chicken sandwiches, flavored milk and Dunkers. Needless to say, in this endeavor, a strong stomach might be just as important as strong legs.

Originally, the Kwik Trip 50K started as a joke among group members, who frequently post about their love for the gas station, said runner and event organizer Anna Twinem of Long Lake, Minn. Last winter, a member posted an article about a Taco Bell-fueled 50K and joked that the TJM community should do something similar with Kwik Trip.

Soon, group member Jon Krist had mapped out the Waukesha route, and the "Kwik Trip 50K Fatass Run" was born. It will take place on Saturday, June 29, at 7 a.m., beginning at Waukesha's E.B. Shurts Building on College Avenue. About 200 Facebook users have already expressed interest in the ultra-endurance event.

Though the name may sound crass, "fatass" runs actually have a long history in the trail and ultra running world.

"It basically means it's a non-sanctioned, non-organized, non-competitive, usually kind of stupid event with not a lot of incentives or formalities," Scott Kummer explained. In other words, there are no winners, no losers, no awards, and many participants will hang back with the slowest person. There's plenty of eating, drinking, talking and hanging out along the way.

"It wouldn't be unusual in this event for everybody to spend like an hour sitting inside a Kwik Trip, drinking beer," Kummer said.

Kummer, a West Allis native, is the host and founder of the "Ten Junk Miles" podcast and Ten Junk Miles Racing, which organizes multiple trail races in southern Wisconsin. The Kwik Trip run, however, is not an official TJM event, though its organizers met through official races and gatherings.

A lawyer by day, Kummer started the podcast to highlight the relatable, triumphant and sometimes less-than-glamorous tales of everyday trail runners, as well as provide "running friends" for people to listen to while exercising alone. Episodes feature interviews with local runners and are often broadcast live from Wisconsin events like the Pettit Indoor Marathon and Kettle Moraine 100.

"That's the most rewarding thing for me, that I bring people together and they can become friends for life ...," Kummer said. "Oftentimes, I meet these groups and everybody knows each other from Ten Junk Miles. It's not something that I ordered them to do; it happened organically."

How will the Kwik Trip 50K work?

The Kwik Trip 50K travels throughout the Waukesha area, including along the Glacial Drumlin State Trail, near River Valley Park and along the Fox River in Frame Park. And of course, there's a stop at a different Kwik Trip every few miles.

When you factor in the leisurely pace of socializing, chatting and trips to the beer cooler, Kummer said the run should take about eight hours ― that's over 15 minutes per mile.

"Waukesha is great for this because there's like a Kwik Trip everywhere," said TJM runner Jenn Collins. "I've done fatasses before where you're relying on gas stations, and gas stations can be pretty hit or miss. Sometimes you get great ones and sometimes you get bathrooms that are absolutely terrifying. With Kwik Trip, you know you're going to have clean bathrooms and chocolate milk or chips or Coke or whatever does it for you on a long run."

At TJM races (or really any ultra running event), it's not uncommon for people to meet for the first time, run together and become long-time friends. People bond over the "shared misery" of what Kummer calls an "awful-some" experience, a mixture of awful and awesome.

"Running 31 miles at some point probably is going to suck," Collins said. "So, there's nothing like having a bunch of people all out there. Whether you know them or not, you're going to bond by the time you're done. They're going to know everything about you; you're going to know everything about them. And you're going to have an awful, horrible, amazing time."

The Kwik Trip 50K benefits a charity for veterans

The Kwik Trip 50K Fatass Run is free to participate in, and there's no registration required. However, participants are encouraged to donate to Band of Runners, a charity organization that provides free, overnight trail running camps to veterans and their surviving family members of all fitness and experience levels.

The organization's mission is similar to TJM's, to share the "community of trail running" and its physical and psychological benefits with campers. The TJM community hopes to raise $3,500 to send 10 veterans to the four-day camp in Texas this year. You can donate to the fundraiser here: donorbox.org/kwik-trip-50k-fatass-run#info.

Learn more about the Kwik Trip 50K and sign up here: facebook.com/events/3787599501465008/.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: This 31-mile ultra running race stops at 10 Kwik Trips in Waukesha