Busting Beer Mile Myths - Orange Mud, LLC

Busting Beer Mile Myths

You’ve been known to toss back a few with your buddies in record time. You’ve chugged a beer before/after/during a race. Keg stand? No problem. We get it, you’re a beast. But if you think the Beer Mile is all fun and games--think again!


The Beer Mile has become popular in the running community and is now commonly found as either part of a larger running event (especially ultra running events) or even as a separate organized event on it’s own. Some running groups put on their own neighborhood Beer Mile, because beer and running.. why not?! So it’s no doubt you’ve been toying with the idea of participating in this crazy running challenge. But the Beer Mile has been known to chew up and spit out many a man or woman who weren’t prepared! I know. It happened to me.


For those unfamiliar with the Beer Mile, it sounds pretty simple on paper: chug a beer, run a ¼ mile lap. Chug another beer, run another ¼ mile. Repeat until you’ve downed 4 beers and ran a mile. Only rules are you’re not allowed to vomit and the beer has to be 5% alcohol and no less than 12oz. These simple rules have fooled many into just showing up. It didn’t end well for them.


What’s the big deal, you ask? Let me bust some of the biggest Beer Mile myths so you can enjoy the challenge and not curse it.


  • It’s Just Four Beers. Correct. Four beers… in approximately 15-30 minutes. Think back to your college days. Even when you shotgunned a beer, did you follow it up with 3 more back to back? Yeah. Now you’re seeing the big picture.
  • It’s Just A Mile. Also correct. 4 laps-1 Mile. But have you ever ran laps with multiple beers sloshing around, threatening to come up? Way tougher than it sounds.
  • I’ll just throw up and keep going. Nope. If you vomit there’s another beer and an additional lap waiting for you. And honestly, this is the hardest part of the Beer Mile-not throwing up! Chances are high that beer is going to come back up. The key is waiting until after you cross the finish line to let it loose.
  • I’ll go slow. Okay, I’ll admit, this is a pretty good strategy, if you’re not competing to win. But if you’ve got a competitive side like me, try getting your speediest miles in the first two or three laps, gain some time on your competitors, and then keep it steady on the last lap.
  • I’ll be so drunk it won’t matter. You’ll get intoxicated for sure, just not right away. It takes a bit for it to hit your system. It’s not going to be like running an entire mile drunk. Most won’t get buzzed until about the third/fourth lap. But once you cross that finish line, be prepared for it all to hit you at once!
  • I don’t need water. False. This may have been one of my biggest mistakes during my Beer Mile experience. My stomach was full, I was feelin good. Why would I need more liquids? The massive hangover later was my answer.
  • All finished. Let’s celebrate! The beers have hit everyone, you’re all feeling good. Time to crack open the celebratory suds. No! I’ll admit, I was the one who was calling for a toast amongst the cheers and high-fives. Which quickly led to “let’s open the good stuff”. Our 4 beers quickly became 5, 6, 7... did I mention the massive hangover? My advice is to toast over some water and food, wait a bit, then start in on the “good stuff”.

Now don’t get me wrong, I loved my Beer Mile adventure, and want to do it again. But I’m sharing my advice so that you’re aware of what you’re getting yourself into. The better prepared you are, the better experience you’ll have. Take my advice into consideration and you’ll be ready for a fun time.


Have you participated in a Beer Mile before? What advice would you give to the newbies out there?

Guest Blogger,
Jeremy Heath
Instagram: @runner_blogger_az
Busting Beer Mile Myths