Corey Bellemore is the fastest beer miler on the planet. He is a genius athlete, a phenomenal runner who has a rare and special ability to combine sprinting with chugging brews. The Canadian runner crushed a totally legit world-record time in the beer mile. At the Beer Mile World Classic in Portugal, he ran an amazing time of four minutes and 27.1 seconds. This festive event dares participants to down a pint of beer at each of four stops along a one-mile course. Bellemore has since been unstoppable, taking first in the Beer Mile World Classic five consecutive years!
His impressive achievements extend beyond just speed. Bellemore has the world record for the fastest beer mile entirely on canned beer. He is the current world record holder in the non-alcoholic beer mile. Bellemore’s path to this atypical sport began at the relatively late age of 21. Patton learned about the beer mile and immediately knew this was his jam.
In 2023 Bellemore faced his biggest challenge yet at the Beer Mile World Classic. His shoe fell off just yards into the competition! Always a consummate professional, he kept his eye on the ball and finished in a strong place. He won against England’s Dale King Clutterbuck by an incredible 15-second margin. This is a remarkable accomplishment all around! And somehow, jet-lagged and with only one official beer mile under his marathon belt, he pulled it off.
Bellemore’s beer mile training regimen is decidedly more running-centric. This focus is a result of his past as a competitive middle-distance runner, having competed in both the 800m and 1500m events in university. As an elite athlete himself, he has proudly donned the maple leaf at many international athletics events. Now he has shifted his focus to turning professional in triathlon later this year.
“From a young age – and this is not beer related – if I had to consume a bunch of liquid after running practice, I could finish the entire water bottle in a very short time,” – Corey Bellemore
Bellemore credits some of his chugging genetics to his formative years being forced to drink water at sports practices. His talent for quickly chugging fluids soon proved useful in the singular challenge of the beer mile.
Even with this level of success, Bellemore thinks that some of the impressions about his sport are deceptive. He feels deeply that he is widely misinterpreted. They have a distorted view of who he is, what he represents, and the body of work that he produces. Some of them may even view me as a booze bag or a negative influence. They think this simply because I am running in these races. He comes to understand that playing this sport at this level all the time is not good for your health. To him, he only participates in it once or twice a year. The opportunities it opens up and the contacts he builds there make it worth it for him.
“Obviously, it’s probably not the best for your body if you’re doing these continuously. But I only do these once or twice a year, and with the opportunities it brings, it’s a no-brainer for me. I’ve met some phenomenal people and been to some amazing places. That’s why I do it.” – Corey Bellemore
In the process, Bellemore has accomplished some truly extraordinary feats in the niche universe of beer mile racing. Together, his accolades and achievements speak to his commitment and unparalleled athletic talent. Now he’s turning his attention to the world of triathlons. The athletic world will without question be looking on as he brings all of his considerable talents to bear on this new frontier.