Man Sets New Record by Running Sub-5-Minute 'Beer Mile'

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By Brian Koerber2014-04-29 17:09:44 UTC

The concept of the Beer Mile is simple: Chug a beer, run a lap, repeat three times.

Thousands of alcohol-loving athletes have successfully completed the Beer Mile, but last weekend, James "The Beast" Nielsen became the first super-human to finish the race in under five minutes. Nielsen completed the four laps and four beers in four minutes and 57 seconds. Because running a mile in under five minutes wasn't impressive enough.

The task wasn't easy for the 34-year-old, two-time NCAA 5,000-meters champion. He starts off the YouTube video explaining his extensive training during the past year. Neilsen's preparations didn't stop at being physically fit, he also trained his stomach for the excessive amounts of carbon dioxide ingested during the race and studied the art of chugging, bringing his drinking time down to about five seconds per can.

Nielsen even kept his beer at the optimal temperature for carbon dioxide displacement, so that when he opened the can, as much of the gas exited the can as possible, making the beer quicker to drink and saving himself from excessive burps.

The exhaustive and tipsy challenge around the track seemed anything but fun. Just before starting Nielsen stated, "Hope you enjoy my pain."

Although Nielsen's record isn't on the official list yet, his mile does meet all qualifications.