How One Small Rule Change Altered The Outcome Of The Beer Mile World Classic

Belgium has a lot going on. The country's a historic purveyor of fine chocolate, beer, fries, and waffles, also known as the vacationer's four main food groups. Belgium is also the diamond capital of the world, according to Culture Trip, the birthplace of Audrey Hepburn, per History, and it's the only country in the EU that has proven it can function without a federal government, per The Washington Post. 

This year, the country bolstered its resume by accommodating the 2022 Beer Mile World Classic, an annual race that touts itself as an "equal parts gastric challenge and athletic endeavor", per The Beer Mile. 

Instead of hydrating runners with Gatorade or water, competitors are required to chug a 355ml, 5% minimum ABV beer before every quarter mile, which clocks in at four beers altogether, per The Beer Mile. When the race started on a high school track in Burlington, Ontario, VinePair says the official rules dictated that runners must drink one can of beer for every spin around the track. Food & Wine writes that cans switched to bottles in 2014, apparently to the delight of competitors, who found that glass yielded faster chugging times. Well, that rule has changed yet again this year, and people aren't too happy about it. 

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to chug a beer from the bottom (also known as shotgunning) than the top? That's because the small hole in the aluminum base only allows for a small amount of liquid to escape at a time — until you get to the end. Even Beer Mile Media, the organizers of The Beer Mile World Classic, admit that beer flows faster from glass bottles than from cans. "Bottles are known to be quicker to chug and create less foam while chugging," the company's Chief Chug Officer told Food & Wine. Unfortunately, the Belgian venue playing host to this year's race doesn't allow glass.

This year, as is par for the course, some runners were disqualified for guzzling their canned brew outside the designated "chug zone," says Food & Wine. The first two runners in the women's race to reach the finish line were disqualified for this very reason, which meant the gold medal went to the third-place winner. Still, coming in third is highly impressive when you consider the full roster. According to Outside, this year's race comprises 65 runners from 13 countries.