Los Angeles ClassicInvitational Beer Mile

In high school track, the beer mile was an underground legend in the running community. We read about it on LetsRun forums and saw it pop up in Runner's World— or maybe I'm hallucinating that. We snuck out on the track during off-season and tried it once. Everyone hurled.

Then in 2007 a strange opportunity arose. While studying abroad in Germany, several classmates were staying at a home that happened to have a private rubber track on the property. The track and cheap beer — it was too amazing to pass up. We ran our first beer mile.

In my documentary class, the professor asked us to document an event. When I debuted a video of the shenanigans we fully lived up to his expectations as stupid Americans. The video spread among my college friends, and we decided to make it a regular event in Los Angeles starting in 2011 — a tradition that has run every summer since.

Four laps. Four beers. You drink one full twelve-ounce can or bottle before each quarter-mile. Vomit before the line and you run a penalty lap.

We follow the official rules. Of note:

• Beers must be 5% ABV or greater.
• Cans or bottles are OK, but beers cannot be altered (shotgunned, punctured).
• It's OK to vomit after the finish line, but vomiting during the race incurs a penalty lap (run right after your 4th).