Results - 2020

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The Second Annual Grand Lake Beer Mile took place on Saturday, July 4th, 2020 and was a resounding success!

Beers were chugged, miles were run, vomit was expelled, records were shattered, and good times were had.

There  were many race highlights, but the moment that sports pundits agree will go down as one of the top athletic achievements of all time took place beginning at lap 3 of the race.

Let's set the stage:

Last year's champion, Michael Mackelvie, came into the race as the overwhelming favorite. And why shouldn't he? He is a world class runner who attended Oklahoma State University (A world class drinking school).  There were some whispers however, in the underground beer mile community, that Justin Walker was primed to take his crown. Anyone that has seen Walker shotgun a beer knows that the chugging advantage belonged to him. But what many didn't know was that he had ramped up his  running training and was posting some times that were approaching that of Mackelvie's. There were also rumors that he had been perfecting the glass bottle swirl chugging technique. The Vegas oddsmakers were surely taking notice as odds began to shift in the weeks approaching the race.  But what the experts in Vegas and the beer mile elites neglected to take note of was the burning desire for revenge brewing inside last year's runner-up: Justin Mitchell. Not much was said regarding his chances of winning this year's race. In fact, he was largely written off as a legitimate contender for the gold. To add fuel to the fire, an article in Chunder Magazine questioned whether he was in a position to get beat by last year's female winner, Lorena Santoni. In the minds of all the so-called "experts" it was going to be a two man race: Mackelvie vs Walker

Back to race:

The Walker vs  Mackelvie narrative did not last long. The bottle swirl chug technique turned out to be a disaster out of the gate for Walker. Instead of a  funnel of delicious beer rushing down his gaping esophagus, a series of gas bubbles formed which significantly slowed down the flow of beer and led to a large amount of gas build-up in Walker's stomach. His chances  of winning were over before the first beer was consumed. Instead, the first lap of the race was a familiar site to beer mile fans worldwide:  Mackelvie opened up a commanding lead. The second lap was more of the  same, and it looked as if the disappointing reality of another victory for the reigning champ was all but certain. But then something shocking, some may say beautiful, happened. Mackelvie started his 3rd chug with a half-lap lead on the closest competitor. As is alluded to on the website www.grandlakebeermile.com,  Michael is a 3-4 on the Kinsey scale, and as such decided to mix in a bitch beer to his chugging rotation. This was a huge mistake. He struggled to force down the flavorful mixture of hops and lime cactus.  The anguish was evident on his face and in the rumblings of his stomach.  All the while, across from him at that same table (6 feet apart of  course) an iron stomach was making short work of a manly Michelob Ultra.  That iron stomach belonged to Justin Mitchell. Before Mackelvie could finish his 3rd beer, Mitchell was off and running his 3rd lap, flipping Mackelvie the bird on his way out. The lead was short lived for our hero though. Michael made up ground and went into the 4th and final chug  with the lead yet again. But by this time the deliciously balanced flavor of lime and beer was inching its way up Michael's gastric fundus and knocking on the door of his esophageal sphincter. Another painfully slow chug was only halfway finished when Mitchell and his steel trap of a stomach polished off his final beer. When Mackelvie finally finished his last beer, the chase was on. The excitement of the crowd was palpable at this point and the cheers were heard by everyone in the neighborhood (except Katie). At the turn-around point, Mitchell still held the lead, but the distance was diminishing rapidly. Then Mitchell seemed to summon something from deep within. Maybe it was the desire to  prove all of the experts wrong. Maybe it was the thought of being able to gloat about the victory for a whole year. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the croissant he had for breakfast. Whatever it was, he reached down deep, picked up speed, and rode that new pace to a glorious victory and a new course record (9:35).  He left it all out on the course.  Figuratively. Mackelvie on the other hand, littered the road with stomach acid, beer, and of course a hint of lime.

Thank you to all who participated and made this year one for the ages!

Sincerely,

Grand Lake Beer Mile Team