A beer mile is a 1-mile (1.6 km) 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 (355 ml) 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 current 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]
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. [4]
In 1997, Seanna Robinson, a resident of Toronto, set the female beer mile record at an event held in Hamilton, Ontario. [5] 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. [6]
James Nielsen was the first participant to break the five-minute barrier in 2014. [7] Since then, the record has been lowered a handful of times by runners from all over the world.
In 2014, the inaugural Beer Mile World Championship was held in Austin, Texas. The men's race was won by Canadian Corey Gallagher with a time of 5:00.23. [8] In the women's race, American Beth Herndon set a new world record with a time of 6:17.8. [9]
Two national race series emerged and quickly folded, the Brew Mile [10] and the National Beer Mile. [11] By the end of 2016, neither race series was solvent,[ citation needed ] with the National Beer Mile closing operations under dubious circumstances. [12]
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, all of which must be consumed prior to crossing the finish line. The route can be anywhere from 5 to 20 kilometres (3.1 to 12.4 mi) long. [13]
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" [14] as well as the "world's most idiotic marathon". [15]
Drinking games are games which involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages and often enduring the subsequent intoxication resulting from them. Evidence of the existence of drinking games dates back to antiquity. Drinking games have been banned at some institutions, particularly colleges and universities.
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An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometres. Various distances, surfaces, and formats are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of 31 miles (50 km) and up to 3100 miles. World Championships are held by the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) for 50 km, 100 km, 24 hours, and ultra Trail running. The Global Organization of Multi-Day Ultramarathoners (GOMU) holds World Championships for 48 hours and 6 days. World Records are ratified and recognized by World Athletics, the IAU, and by GOMU.
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Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat is a Kenyan-American middle and long-distance runner.
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The Beer Mile World Championship is an annual beer mile competition to determine a champion in the running of a beer mile.
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The Marathon du Médoc is a French marathon race, created in 1985, held every year in September through the vineyards of the Médoc in the Gironde. It is considered "the longest Marathon in the world" because the race is interspersed with several activities: musical breaks with 50 orchestras scattered around the course, 23 wine tasting stops, oysters tasting at the 38th kilometer, and steak at the 39th kilometer.
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