Is The Beer Mile World Record The Most Impressive Running Record?

The Beer Mile is one of running’s more obscure events. It involves drinking four beers and running four laps of the track. It’s a fun event, but the best beer milers can run some seriously good times.

Corey Bellemore’s world record of 4:27 is arguably one of the most impressive records in all of running.

The men’s beer mile world record is 4:27 held by Canadian Corey Bellemore.

The women’s beer mile world record is 5:43 held by American Shelby Houlihan.

That time is inclusive of running four laps of a track plus drinking four beers.

Of all the running records, Corey Bellemore’s beer mile world record might be the most incredible in the sport.

For perspective, in Bellemore’s world record run his 400m lap splits were 0:56, 1:00, 1:01 and 1:01, and he had an average of seven-seconds per beer.

You might know someone who can slam a seven-second beer, but can they then rip a 60-second lap of the track? And do that four times in a row?

WHAT IS A BEER MILE?

A beer mile involves drinking a 12oz beer then running a 400m lap of a track, and repeating that four times. Beer, run, beer, run, beer, run, beer, run, and try not to puke. It’s a simple idea, but stomach-churning in how challenging it actually is.

The beer mile rules are:

Runners must drink a 12oz (355ml) beer which has at least 5% ABV

They must drink the beer within the ‘chug zone’ and then run a 400m lap of the track

They repeat that four times so that they’ve drunk four beers and run four laps

If a runner has a ‘reversal of fortunes’ – a beer mile euphemism for being sick – on a lap then they must run one penalty lap

A total of no more than 4oz of beer is allowed to remain in the four bottles at the end of the race, or runners are disqualified

A beer mile involves drinking a 12oz beer then running a 400m lap of a running track, repeating that four times for a total of four beers and one mile of running. The men’s world record is an incredible 4:27 held by Canadian Corey Bellemore. That involves running 60-second laps and chugging each beer in around seven-seconds.

WHAT IS THE BEER MILE WORLD RECORD?

Canadian Corey Bellemore holds the men’s beer mile world record of 4:27. Bellemore ran the time at the 2025 Beer Mile World Classic, the event’s annual world championship. Bellemore has won the title seven years in a row.

American Shelby Houlihan holds the women’s beer mile world record of 5:43. Houlihan ran the time as part of 2023 Beer Mile World Classic — Legends & Elites Race. It was the first sub-six minute beer mile run by a woman.

The beer mile is not recognised by World Athletics as an official world record (!). Times are verified by beermile.com and all the best beer mile times can be found here.

Here’s Bellemore’s full beer mile world record.

WHO IS COREY BELLEMORE?

Corey Bellemore is the seven-time beer mile world champion. From Windsor, Ontario, Bellemore’s running background includes a 3:57 mile and 3:39 in the 1500m, and he has competed internationally for Canada.

Remarkably, he doesn’t train specifically for the beer mile, and after shifting his focus from short distance track events he’s currently focusing more on triathlon, recently finishing second in a 70.3.

Bellemore won his first Beer Mile World Championship at his first attempt in 2016, when he ran 4:34 at that year’s world classic held in London, England. It was a new world record and he has since dominated the sport.

In the 2018 Beer Mile World Classic, Bellemore won the race in 4:24 but an inspection determined there was too much beer left in his bottles, so he was disqualified.

He broke under 4:30 for the first time in 2021, lowering his own world record to 4:28.

In 2024 he finished in 4:30, despite losing a shoe within the first 100m of the first lap.

His world record in 2025 confirms his place as the greatest beer miler in the world.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE BEER MILE?

The first beer mile was run in Burlington, Ontario in 1989. Seven runners wanted to celebrate the end of the summer track season, so they thought up the idea of combining their two favourite pastimes: running and beer. They’d never experienced a post-run buzz quite like the one after a beer mile.

They told others about the beer mile, spreading the word as they competed nationally and into the US, and as they went off to college. The race began to spread on campuses through the early 1990s, and a set of official rules were drafted in 1993. John Markell, a runner and engineering student, was among them. The rules were circulated in person and online.

As more runners took on the race, times began to be posted online so that runners could compare their time with others, and a new competitiveness developed.

Markell was co-organiser of the inaugural World Mile World Classic which took place in San Francisco in 2015, just as the event was reaching a wider audience. Markell has continued to make the event happen each year. He also continues to compete – he ran 5:59 in the 2025 World Classic.

FAQS ON THE BEER MILE

Can you drink any beer in a beer mile?As long as the beer is at least 5% ABV and in a 12oz (355ml) container, then you can drink any beer in a beer mile.

What happens if you puke in a beer mile?It’s something that happens to many runners during a beer mile! If you puke during the race then you must run one penalty lap. Puking in a beer mile is euphemistically known as a ‘reversal of fortunes’.

What is a chunder mile?The chunder mile is the British version of a beer mile. It involves drinking one pint of beer before running a 400m lap of the track, repeating that four times. Unlike the beer mile, there is no penalty for a mid-run puke.

TL;DR ON THE BEER MILE WORLD RECORD

A beer mile involves drinking four 12oz beers and running four laps of a 400m running track. Competitors drink a beer then run a lap, and repeat that four times.

The men’s world record is an incredible 4:27 held by Canadian Corey Bellemore. That means averaging under 60-seconds per lap and seven-seconds per beer.