We are one week away from the 60-year anniversary of Roger Bannister . What he accomplished on that blustery day in 1954 on Oxford University’s track is perhaps still the most significant moment in athletics: a testament to humankind’s eternal striving to break barriers once thought impenetrable.
Now humanity can celebrate another such milestone:
Last Sunday, a 34-year-old Canadian named James Nielson successfully downed four cans of beer and ran four laps around a track (alternating drinking with running) in four minutes and 57 seconds, smashing the previous beer-mile record of 5:09.
The rules for this prestigious event, as stipulated by , require the beers to be no less than 335 ml (12 ounces) each and five percent alcohol content. If a competitor vomits before finishing the race, an additional lap must be added at the end of the race, meaning cheap-date competitors can probably say sayonara to their chances of besting Nielson’s mark.
Speaking of which, U.S. Olympian and athletes’ rights advocateNick Symmonds (himself a 5:15 beer miler) has offered Nielson his congratulations, as : “Huge congrats to him. I guess I better start training.”