RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Canadian Lewis Kent has broken his own record for running the beer mile. The beer mile involves running a 400-meter track, but here’s the catch: You have to finish a 12 oz beer each lap.
Kent ran the mile in a mere 4 minutes and 51 seconds. He celebrated his new record by announcing a deal with shoe company Brooks.
Marketing Manger for Brooks Canada Jenine Lafayette didn’t provide specific details for the unprecedented deal, but she did say that the deal would last two years and would pay Kent, “more than we would pay an amateur athlete and less than we would pay an Olympian.”
The deal marks the first official endorsement of a beer mile athlete and could contribute to the growth of the sport.
“I think, over the past couple of years, the beer mile has gone from something collegiate runners did to something more serious,” sports marketing agent Kris Mychasiw said.
Kent, who held the previous record for the beer mile at four minutes and 55 seconds and won the Beer Mile World classic, expressed his own disbelief at his accomplishments.
“It’s pretty surreal,” Kent said. “I’ve always liked to run and drink beer, but I never thought I would be considered world class for doing both.”
