By The days are getting shorter, the air is getting a bit cooler, and pumpkin spice-flavored products are starting to pop up everywhere. Your tan is at its peak, and Despacito is finally getting on your nerves.
That’s right: the end of summer is fast approaching.
That said, it seems only appropriate to celebrate the end of warm-weather sunset runs, weekend getaways and increased opportunities to day drink outside with something… monumental. And while a beer mile isn’t the only way to close out the summer, it’s certainly, IMO, the most appropriate way to do it.
Mile High Run Club agrees. The treadmill studio will be hosting a LAST DANCE TRACK CLASSIC event this Friday, September 1st, to celebrate the end of the season, and the (temporary) closing of the East River Track, which will be undergoing renovations.
To commemorate all of the amazing runners, and the terrible, heave-inducing workouts that throw down on that very oval all year long, there will be a variety of events to spectate and compete in (and you can view the full list here). But no event is so honorable as a competitor, nor as exciting to watch, as the beer mile.
If you have the guts, the iron stomach, and the proximity to the East River Track to compete on Friday, DO IT. If not, you can still host your own version of the world’s fastest, booziest footrace wherever you are. All you need is a track or .25-mile stretch, some beer, and some crazy runners willing to compete.
To help you reach the finish line, I scoured the Internet for six pro tips on how to run your best beer mile. Good luck, and you’re welcome.
-
Practice Makes Perfect
“Practicing drinking fast with short recovery is a good idea. I recommend [drinking] 3 or 4 beers as fast as possible with less than a 30-second rest. This session got one of my friends an 8:01, after running 12:09 on debut just a month earlier.”
—Beer Mile competitor & Australian Record Holder Josh Harris via DailyRelay (4:51.33 beer mile PR)
“I’ll practice holding my breath for 1 minute, then immediately drink a beer as quickly as possible.” —Jim Finlayson via Competitor (5:07 beer mile PR)
-
Allow Some Air In The Can
“Don’t put your whole mouth around the can if you want to drink fast. It is important to let some airflow into the bottle by sitting the beer on your bottom lip, and pouring it down your throat. I like to pour it down at an angle of close to 45 degrees. Once I learned the technique to drink a beer fast I improved my maximum speed out of a bottle from 10 seconds to around 5 seconds.”
—Harris
-
Don’t Be Shy About Burping
“Use smooth handling techniques while opening and chugging to prevent the beer from fizzing as much as possible, and be conservative early in the race—especially with the first beer—in terms of drinking speed and running pace.” Also, try to get rid of as much carbonation in your stomach as possible after the completion of each beer…AKA, don’t be shy about letting out a big burp or many!
—Michael Cunningham via Competitor (5:07.95 beer mile PR)
-
Have Fun And Recruit Friends
“Make sure you have a group of friends to run against. This will make it more fun for everybody. The debrief period after a Beer Mile often leads to some moments to remember.”
—Harris
-
Divide Each Lap Into Sections
“The first 100-meters of your lap are going to be focused on burping and the last 100-meters of the lap are to calm yourself down before drinking again.”
—Nick Symmonds via FloTrack (5:19 beer mile PR)
-
Celebrate Post-Race
“I’d go and drink more beers.”
—Symmonds
Run From Your Problems 