What Is the Beer Mile? Rules, Records, and Race Format

Key takeaways

• A beer mile is four beers and four laps on a 400-meter track. You drink one beer to start, then one more after each lap.
• Standard rules, as published by Beermile.com, call for at least 12 ounces of beer at 5% ABV or higher, in a can or bottle.
• Runners who vomit before the finish run one penalty lap, no matter how many times they throw up.
• The men's record is 4:28.10 (Corey Bellemore) and the women's record is 5:43.81 (Shelby Houlihan), as of the sources checked on November 14, 2026.
• The Bermondsey Beer Mile in London is a brewery crawl, not a race.

A beer mile is a running race where you drink a beer, run one lap of a track, and repeat four times. The standard format is four beers and four laps, one beer before each lap, and the clock stops when you cross the finish line. Championship races enforce strict rules on the beer and the chug. Casual run club versions keep the shape and relax the rest.

Rules and records below come from published rulebooks, race pages and news coverage as of November 14, 2026. Local events set their own rules, so check the rules for the race you enter. A beer mile means drinking a lot of alcohol quickly while running, so read the safety section before you try one.

What is the beer mile and where did it start?

The beer mile is a four-lap, four-beer race, and its most commonly told origin is Burlington, Ontario, in 1989. Runner's World traced the first one to a warm August night that year on the Burlington Central High School track. The group carried Canadian beer to the track, and some of them took the idea to college that fall. Other origin stories exist, and the sport's history is hazy. From there it spread through track teams and running clubs, and it now has a results database and world championships.

For a run club, the format needs a track, a stopwatch and a cooler. That simplicity is why it spread.

How does a beer mile work, step by step?

A beer mile alternates drinking and running, four times. The standard rules read: start, beer, lap, beer, lap, beer, lap, beer, lap, finish.

The start. Runners line up at the start of a 400-meter track. Each runner drinks the first beer before the first lap.

The lap-and-chug cycle. After each lap, the runner drinks another beer, then runs the next lap. The clock stops when the runner finishes the fourth lap.

The empty check. The beer has to be gone. Runners often tip the empty can or bottle over their head to show it is empty, or officials measure what is left.

Everyone drinks four. The standard rules say women drink four beers as well. Some early local rules had women drinking three, and former record-holder Seanna Robinson argued for one standard.

What are the standard beer mile rules?

The standard rules come from Beermile.com and are repeated on many race pages. The core rules are short, and each one exists to stop a shortcut.

The beer. Each beer must be at least 12 ounces (355 mL) and at least 5% ABV. The beer should be a real malt-and-hops beer, so hard ciders and hard lemonades do not count.

The container. Cans and bottles are both allowed. Wide-mouth cans and bottles, special tops and anything else that speeds the pour are banned. Shotgunning, or puncturing a can anywhere but the tab, is also banned.

Opening the beer. Runners open each beer only when they are about to drink it.

The penalty lap. A runner who vomits before the finish runs one extra lap right after the fourth lap, with no extra beer. Vomiting more than once still means only one penalty lap.

How empty is empty? Under the standard ruleset, no more than 4 ounces of liquid and foam may be left across all four beers. At sanctioned races, officials can disqualify a runner who leaves more. One world-record run was thrown out for exactly that reason.

What is the Bermondsey Beer Mile, and how is it different?

The Bermondsey Beer Mile is a stretch of breweries and taprooms in London, not a race. Most of the breweries sit in and around the railway arches that lead into London Bridge station. The first one, The Kernel, opened in 2009, and others followed because the arches were cheap to rent. No central organization runs it, and there is no clock.

The two events share a name and almost nothing else:

If you want competition, find a track event. If you want a social run with stops, the Bermondsey format is a good template for a brewery run.

What are the beer mile world records?

The men's world record is 4:28.10, set by Canadian Corey Bellemore. The women's world record is 5:43.81, set by American Shelby Houlihan on July 1, 2023, at the Beer Mile World Classic in Chicago. Houlihan was the first woman to break six minutes. Records change, so check Beermile.com for the current list.

The first sub-five-minute beer mile came in 2014, when James Nielsen ran 4:57. Elite men now run under five minutes while drinking four beers. Most runners will not come close, and they do not need to. Racing your first beer mile means racing your crew, not those times.

What is the best beer for a beer mile?

The best beer for a beer mile is a light lager at about 5% ABV. Anything under 5% breaks the standard rules, and anything much stronger just adds alcohol you do not need. Bellemore reportedly ran his record with a lager.

Carbonation is the real enemy. A fizzy, hoppy beer foams up and slows the chug. Look for a light-bodied, low-bitterness beer that goes down cold. Standard rules allow cans and bottles, and many crews choose cans because they are easy to carry and open.

For a run club event, buy four identical beers per runner and agree on the rules before the start. Save the good beer for after the race.

How much alcohol is in a beer mile?

A beer mile is about four standard drinks in a few minutes. Four 12-ounce beers at 5% ABV equal 48 ounces, and one US standard drink is 12 ounces of 5% beer. Drinking that fast, while running, is much harder on the body than drinking four beers over an evening.

Alcohol affects people differently, and the standard rules do not make the race safe. Use common sense:

• Only runners 21 and over should drink.
• Never do a beer mile alone. Keep a sober person at the track.
• Skip it if you are sick, dehydrated, pregnant or on medication that does not mix with alcohol.
• Stop if you feel dizzy or very sick. Nobody needs a finish time that badly.
• Never drive afterward. Arrange a ride before the race starts.
• Want the format without the alcohol? Many groups run it with non-alcoholic beer or soda.

How do you train for a beer mile?

Train the running and the chugging separately, and keep both modest. Run one mile at your target pace a couple of times a week. Add one session where you jog a lap, drink a drink, and jog another. Use soda or non-alcoholic beer for practice if you are not 21 or do not want the alcohol.

Carbonation ends most first attempts. Learning to burp between laps helps, and so does eating light on race day. Your crew will tell you the same thing: nobody earns the post-run beer on an empty stomach, and nobody runs a fast first beer mile.

How do you track beer mile miles and keep the streak going?

Race day is four laps, but a run club runs every week. Run4It tracks your run and shows the drink those miles earned, so the post-run beer becomes part of your streak. Every workout you log earns drinks and keeps your streak alive.

Run4It is built for how brewery run groups and beer mile crews talk: badges for showing up, weekly challenges for the crew, and a simple answer to "who ran this week?" The earned drink is a motivational count, not a purchase, and the app does not sell or redeem drinks. If you want pace analysis or segment leaderboards, Strava does that better. Run4It is built for the ritual.

FAQ

Do you have to finish the whole beer before each lap?
Yes. The standard rules count the beer as part of the race, and sanctioned officials check that the cans and bottles are empty. At most 4 ounces of liquid and foam may remain across all four beers.

Can you use bottles in a beer mile?
Yes. The standard rules allow cans or bottles of at least 12 ounces. They ban wide-mouth bottles, special tops and anything that makes the pour faster.

What happens if you throw up during a beer mile?
The runner finishes the race, then runs one penalty lap right after the fourth lap. Throwing up more than once still means one penalty lap, and no extra beer is required.

Is there a beer mile world record?
Yes. The men's record is 4:28.10 and the women's is 5:43.81. Check Beermile.com for the current list.

Can non-alcoholic beer count in a beer mile?
Not for sanctioned records, which require 5% ABV. Many casual races use non-alcoholic beer, and they set their own rules.

FINISHED! BEER MILE STYLE. Run for it. You earned it.

Run4It is for adults 21 and over. Please drink responsibly and never drink and drive. Run4It is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Beermile.com, the Bermondsey Beer Mile or any brewery mentioned.

Sources: The Beer Mile: How to Race, Sip, and Survive Like a Pro (Marathon Handbook), Beer mile (Wikipedia), History of the Beer Mile (VinePair), Beer Mile: Chug, Run, Repeat (FiveThirtyEight), GAF Beer Mile rules (RunSignup), Canadian breaks own world record, gets disqualified (CBC), Bermondsey Beer Mile (Wikipedia)