Beer mile competitors at the starting lineCompetitors drink one can of beer before each of four laps of the 400m track
A beer mile is a 1-mile (1.6km) drinking race combining running and speed drinking. Typically, the race takes place on a standard 400-metre or 1/4-mile running track. The race begins at the 1-mile starting line with the consumption of a 12-US-fluid-ounce (355ml)beer, followed by a full lap around the track. The next three laps continue in a similar manner: another 12-ounce beer is consumed before commencing the running of each lap. Following the completion of the fourth running lap (and four beers), a competitor has finished the race.
In North America, 12 US ounces of beer are consumed from a can or bottle before every lap. A set of rules has been defined and published by BeerMile.com.[1]
The world record holder is Canadian Corey Bellemore, who won his third world title on October 23, 2021, with a time of 4:28.1.[2] He broke his own record of 4:33.6, which he set in San Francisco in 2017.[3] He bested his own time once again in Lisbon in 2025 with a time of 4:27.[4]
Shelby Houlihan broke the women's beer mile record in 2023 with a time of 5:43.81, becoming the first woman to break six minutes.[5]
History
In 1997, Seanna Robinson, a resident of Toronto, set the female beer mile record at an event held in Hamilton, Ontario.[6] Her time of 6:42.0 stood as the women's world record until 2014, when Chris Kimbrough, a 44-year-old mother of six, ran the beer mile in 6:28.6.[7]
James Nielsen was the first participant to break the five-minute barrier in 2014.[8] Since then, the record has been lowered a handful of times by runners from all over the world.
Two national race series emerged and quickly folded, the Brew Mile[11] and the National Beer Mile.[12] By the end of 2016, neither race series was solvent,[citation needed] with the National Beer Mile closing operations under dubious circumstances.[13]
Other races involving alcohol
Kastenlauf
Kastenlauf (short for "Bierkastenlauf", literally "beer crate running"), Kistenlauf, Bierlauf, Bierkastenrennen (literally crate-running, beer crate-running, or equivalents), Bier-Rallye, or Bierathlon, is a drinking sport in the German-speaking countries Austria, Germany and Switzerland. It is a race among teams that consist of two people carrying a crate of beer (equaling 10 liters), all of which must be consumed prior to crossing the finish line. The route can be anywhere from 5 to 20 kilometres (3 to 12mi) long.[14]
Marathon du Médoc
The Marathon du Médoc, held in Bordeaux every September, is a marathon through the vineyards of Médoc during which competitors sample 23 different wines as they go. It has been described as "the world's longest, booziest, race"[15] as well as the "world's most idiotic marathon".[16]
