Beer mile world record holder looking for Boylston Street success

Hundreds of Canadian runners are heading to Boston this weekend to compete in the 128th Boston Marathon, but one of the most thrilling events of the weekend isn’t on Marathon Monday. Saturday’s B.A.A. Road Mile consists of three 530-metre loops around Boylston, Dartmouth, Newbury and Exeter Streets, culminating at the historic Boston Marathon finish line. With its fast pace, tight turns and energetic audience, this road mile is the sport’s closest event to Formula One racing on city streets.

Corey Bellemore of Windsor, Ont., is one of five Canadian elites in the B.A.A. Invitational Road Mile field. After a fourth-place finish in 2023, he says he’s gunning for a spot on the podium. 

This will be the third consecutive year Bellemore will toe the Boylston St. start line. He finished seventh in 2022 and improved on his result last year, finishing just off the podium for fourth behind the world road mile champion, American Hobbs Kessler. “I love competing and truly appreciate when I receive opportunities like this,” says Bellemore. “It’s an electric event, and the organizers do a great job of putting it on year after year.”

Bellemore, who has made his name in professional running as the beer mile world record holder, says he has changed his perspective on his goals. “Running, to me, is a fun, competitive hobby and a nice break from work, coaching and the chaos of life,” he says. “The beer mile is something I am known for, but it’s only something I do twice a year.”

Last year, he won the men’s championship at the Beer Mile World Classic, finishing just two seconds off his world record of four minutes and 28 seconds. What’s more impressive is that he came close despite losing a shoe in the first 10 seconds of the race. The video of him running while chugging beers and wearing one shoe went viral on social media, surpassing a million views.

“You never know what is going to happen in the beer mile, and last year was no exception,” he laughs. “I was fit going into it, and when my shoe fell off in the first 50m of the race, I just told myself I had to get it done.”

The 29-year-old middle-distance runner says he has taken a different approach to training than he has in the past. “I’ve started to hold myself back a little more and keep my easy days easy,” he says. Bellemore told Canadian Running that his body has responded positively to slowing things down. “I am recovering better and staying injury-free.”

Bellemore will be joined on the B.A.A. road mile start line by Pan-American Games silver medallist Rob Heppenstall and Aaron Ahl of Calgary. In the women’s road mile, Canadian 800m runner Jazz Shukla will also look to improve on her fourth-place finish from 2023. Shukla will be joined on the startline by 2016 Canadian Olympian Erin Teschuk, who most recently represented Team Canada at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in the 5,000m.

The B.A.A. Road Mile will kick off Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET on Boylston St. You can stay tuned for results by following Canadian Running on Twitter and Instagram.

Canadian Running is at the 2024 Boston Marathon with Under Armour to celebrate the launch of the Velociti Elite 2, the brand’s fastest carbon racing shoe to date. Be sure to stay plugged into our socials on Instagram and X for everything Boston this weekend.