Welcome back to Racing Bizarre, the series where we dive into the world’s most ridiculous footraces, proving once again that humanity can turn almost anything into a competitive event. This week, we’re taking a long, hard look at the Beer Mile, an event that asks the question, “Why run a mile when you could drink four beers instead?” If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Running is hard enough, but what if I added more beer?” then congratulations, you’ve stumbled across the perfect race for you.
The concept is simple, almost too simple. Drink a beer. Run a lap. Drink another beer. Run another lap. Repeat until you’ve completed four laps and consumed an absurd amount of alcohol. It’s 1 mile (or 1.6 km), but because it’s beer, you can just about count on it being the longest, most bizarre mile of your life.
The Rules: Simple, and Yet, So Ridiculous
Competitors line up on a standard 400 metre track, which already has a built-in existential question: How fast can you go when your body is fighting against its own better judgement? Each lap starts with the not-so-innocent task of downing a long neck bottle of beer. Forget hydration; we’re all about dehydration and questionable decisions here. Once that beer is down, it’s a full lap around the track and we’re talking real running, not the “I’ll jog and pretend I’m participating” kind of deal. After each lap, rinse and repeat with another beer. And by the end of the race, assuming you haven’t passed out or developed a sudden aversion to hops, you’ll have consumed four beers and run the full mile. Simple, right? No, not really.
Let’s take a moment to think about that. You’ve just chugged a beer, then you’re supposed to run around a track, a track, mind you, which is essentially a circle of endless regret. It’s as if someone thought, “How can we combine the worst elements of fitness and alcohol in a single event?” And voilà, the Beer Mile was born.
The Race's Humble Beginnings and Global Growth
As you might expect with an event this elegant, the Beer Mile has a rich history of people making questionable life choices in the name of sport. It all began back in 1989 when the first beer mile was run, though it wasn’t until 1997 that Seanna Robinson made history with her legendary performance. From there, the race grew, as more and more people realised that what the world really needed was a race that combined all the elegance of a marathon with all the dignity of a frat party.
In 2014, things kicked up a notch with the inaugural Beer Mile World Championship in Austin, Texas. The event has since evolved into the Beer Mile Classic, taking place annually at various venues around the world. It’s become an international affair, with the 2021 race hosted in Manchester, England, followed by Leuven, Belgium in 2022, Chicago in 2023, and Ontario, Canada in 2024. Who knew that the humble beer mile could one day have the prestige of a global event?
Even Ireland has held it own edition intermittently over the last decade or so with the last Irish Beer Mile Championship taking place in 2023.
A Global Tradition of Ridiculousness
While the Beer Mile might have begun in North America, it's now a truly global phenomenon. From the American EDRRC Beer Mile in Pauling, New York, to the Run Saipan Beer Mile in the Pacific islands, it’s clear that people everywhere are realising they have nothing better to do than run a lap and drink themselves into questionable decisions. And while some races boast prestigious marathons or Olympic qualifying times, the Beer Mile proudly celebrates the absurdity of human nature. In fact, in 2021, Manchester hosted the event as part of a celebration of all things weird and wonderful. And it’s not just about the speed: there’s something beautifully democratic about the Beer Mile, where the elite runners and casual drinkers alike can compete, it’s not about being the fastest, it’s about finishing the race (and hopefully keeping everything down).
The Greatest Athletes (of Bad Decisions)
The Beer Mile has seen some truly exceptional athletes, but don’t let the word “athlete” fool you, these are the kind of people who excel at failing spectacularly while still somehow coming out on top. Take Canadian Corey Bellemore, the reigning world record holder. This guy, who somehow managed to combine elite speed with the dubious talent of drinking beer at record pace, completed his third world title in 2021 with an impressive (and troubling) time of 4:28.1. That’s four beers and a mile run in under five minutes. Just let that sink in.
But it doesn’t stop there. In 2023, Shelby Houlihan broke the women’s record with a time of 5:43.81, proving that women can indeed defy physics by running fast, drinking faster, and all while trying not to vomit.
Why? Just… Why?
Look, it’s easy to mock the Beer Mile, and if you’re wondering why people do it, well, so are we. The real answer is simple: why not? It’s that strange human urge to combine competitiveness with pure ridiculousness that has led us here. At the end of the day, it’s not about speed, endurance, or how many hops you can handle, it’s about proving you can run a mile and survive the beer. And really, what else is there?
So, if you find yourself wandering around a track with a cold one in hand and a lap to run, just remember: you’ve made an excellent choice, just not in the long run