Beermile.com Acquired -- Beer Mile Media Empire Expands
CHICAGO, July 22, 2021
Beer Mile Media LLC has acquired a majority stake in Beermile.com for an undisclosed amount. Adam Shurson and American Beer Mile Record Holder Chris Robertson will co-run the new media entity. Beermile.com founder Patrick Butler will stay involved as an advisor.
Originally invented in the 1980s, the Beer Mile is a one-mile footrace during which each runner drinks four beers. Its popularity has soared in recent years with the standardization of rules and development of multiple professional racing circuits. The online Beer Mile community has coalesced around Beermile.com as the keeper of records and regulatory standards since the mid-1990s. The site hosts a database of almost 50,000 race results.
The popularity of the Beer Mile exploded in 2014 when the world record was lowered to under five minutes by James “The Beast” Nielsen. Multiple professional championships were started that year, and athletes and races were featured on ESPN, CNN, Ellen, and The Tonight Show. Since then, Beer Milers around the world have broken barriers in human performance previously thought impossible as the sport has emerged into the mainstream from its underground past.
The Beer Mile World Record now stands at 4:33, held by Canadian Corey Bellemore, with 12 men now under the five-minute barrier and 20 women under seven minutes. In a world where only a handful of competitive and Olympic runners can make good money competing, the Beer Mile is providing a way for a broader range of athletes to make a living, some even netting six-figure sponsorships.
“The sport has exceeded my kinkiest expectations of what was possible with the site,” said Patrick Butler, inventor of Beermile.com. “Chris and Adam are weird geniuses and I intend to show them love like they were my own step-children.” Butler coded the first version of the site and has been the proprietor and overseer of its operations since the 1990s. His Beer Mile personal record of 6:22 was run in the “dead ball” era of the sport.
Chris Robertson , co-founder of Beer Mile Media and multi-time World Champion with a best time of 4:37, explains the Beer Mile as follows: “The Beer Mile is about so much more than combining chugging with running. It’s about community, entertainment, and lifestyle. The Beer Mile is an introduction to the world of running for the beer-loving public and it’s the premier form of friendly competition for friends and foes alike. Those who have done a Beer Mile can relate to the undeniable bond that is formed between competitors in the shared glory and misery that is the Beer Mile. Patrick’s been the recognized commissioner of the sport to date, and we’re excited to take on that responsibility.”
With Beer Mile Media at the helm, Beermile.com continues to be the official Beer Mile resource for records and results but, now, also expands into news, merchandise, video, podcast, and other media to increase coverage of the sport. “I think some people don’t understand how ubiquitous this event is throughout the global running community,” remarked John Markell, creator of the Beer Mile World Classic. “The new Beermile.com’s one-stop repository does the event’s popularity justice.”
Details on the new site:
About Beermile.com
First crafted as a depot for Beer Mile records in 1996, Beermile.com was formally founded in 1998 with the goals of staying objective, formalizing rulesets, aggregating results, and popularizing the sport. It has been the de facto authority in record keeping and rules since its inception.
About Beer Mile Media LLC
Beer Mile Media LLC was founded in 2020 with the mission to grow the Beer Mile community and interest in digestive athletic events in general. With its popular podcast, YouTube channel, and purchase of Beermile.com, the new media entity has the world’s largest Beer Mile audience.
Contact: press@beermile.com
Twitter: @beermile
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BeerMileMedia
Podcast: https://www.beermile.com/podcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beermile
Instagram: @the_beer_mile
TikTok: @beermile
SOURCE Beer Mile Media LLC