Four beers. Four laps. One mile. What could possibly go wrong? The Arkansas State Championship Beer Mile brought racing, revelry and a good cause to downtown North Little Rock.
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
There are plenty of ways to run a mile. You can chase a personal record, train for a longer race or head out for a little exercise. Or, you can drink four beers while doing it.
That last option brought runners, beer enthusiasts and curious spectators to the Argenta District of North Little Rock on Saturday, Oct. 24, for the inaugural Arkansas State Championship Beer Mile.
The concept was simple: Drink a beer, run a quarter-mile, repeat three more times. The execution? Well, that’s where things got interesting.
With the rallying cry of “Turn Left, Drink Beer,” competitors took to the streets of Argenta for an afternoon that combined athletic ambition, questionable pacing strategies and plenty of laughter.
The event attracted 125 registered participants, with 108 recording official finishing times. Runners, cyclists, rugby players and other adventurous souls joined the festivities, proving that there are plenty of people willing to combine running and beer drinking for the sake of competition.
And while bragging rights were on the line, the event also supported a worthy cause, Recycle Bikes for Kids, a North Little Rock nonprofit dedicated to putting bicycles into the hands of children and adults across Central Arkansas.
From Dogtown Beer Down to State Championship
The beer mile isn’t exactly new to North Little Rock. The event has been part of the Argenta scene for several years, previously known as the Dogtown Beer Down and Argenta Beer Mile.
The 2025 edition was billed as the fifth annual Argenta Beer Mile, but 2026 brought something a little more official: the inaugural Arkansas State Championship Beer Mile.
That’s right. Arkansas now has state champions in an event that requires participants to demonstrate both running ability and the capacity to consume 48 ounces of beer while doing it.
Race director Jeff Chastain and the organizers introduced the championship format while keeping the lighthearted atmosphere that has made the event popular with runners and spectators.
Organizers also have bigger plans for the event, including the possibility of regional qualifying races around Arkansas that could eventually feed into the state championship.
Imagine a future in which runners across Arkansas battle through local beer miles for the chance to compete in Argenta. The road to glory could be paved with empty beer cans.
Four Beers, Four Laps, One Question: Why?
For those unfamiliar with the beer mile, here’s how it works.
Competitors begin by drinking a 12-ounce beer in a designated transition area. Once the beer is finished, they head out for a quarter-mile lap. Upon returning, they drink another beer before heading out again.
Repeat until four beers and four laps are complete.
Sounds easy enough, right?
The trick is that drinking beer quickly and running quickly are two very different athletic skills. Combining them creates a unique challenge involving pacing, coordination and an increasingly complicated relationship with your stomach.
And there are rules. You must finish each beer before starting the next lap.
Four Beers Courtesy of Flyway Brewing
This wasn’t a bring-your-own-beer affair. North Little Rock’s Flyway Brewing supplied the official four-beer lineup for the championship.
Participants were required to consume one of each of the following beers during their mile:
- Honeybird Blonde Ale
- Bluewing
- Early Bird IPA
- Flyway Light
That’s four different beers, four laps and one increasingly interesting afternoon.
The event featured three competitive categories, each with men’s and women’s divisions:
- Elite: The serious competitors. Twelve minutes to complete the challenge, with state championship titles on the line.
- Recreational: Twenty minutes to complete the mile. Still competitive, but with a little more breathing room.
- Casual: Thirty minutes to get the job done. A category for those who might be more interested in the experience than setting a record.
Naturally, all participants had to be at least 21 years old.
The racing took place on a closed course in downtown North Little Rock. Unlike a traditional road race, much of the entertainment happened between laps.
And the Winners Are …
Some people take their beer seriously. Others take their running seriously. At the Arkansas State Championship Beer Mile, the fastest competitors apparently take both seriously. (All results are available here.)
King Wins Men’s Championship in a Photo Finish
Derek King claimed the Elite Men’s state championship in an impressive 6 minutes, 59.67 seconds.
That’s four beers and one mile in less than seven minutes.
But King didn’t have much room to celebrate early. Shane Poland finished in 7:00.10, just 0.43 seconds behind.
Less than half a second separated the two competitors after a mile of running and four beers. That’s the kind of finish that makes you wonder whether a slightly faster final sip might have changed the outcome.
James Strohmeyer completed the Elite Men’s podium in 7:25.86.
Frankum Claims Women’s State Championship
Madison Frankum earned the inaugural Elite Women’s state championship with an official championship time of 8:26.51.
Amy Huston finished second in 9:50.39, followed by Rebecca Blaylock in 10:29.37.
Frankum’s performance was particularly impressive, finishing more than a minute ahead of the second-place competitor.
The Elite division featured competitors racing in separate heats, meaning championship hopefuls were racing against the clock as well as the competitors sharing their starting line.
Championship Trophies With a Twist
The inaugural state champions didn’t receive just any old trophies.
King and Frankum were awarded custom championship trophies featuring actual chrome beer taps mounted on commemorative bases.
That’s a trophy worthy of a prominent place on the mantel, or perhaps behind the home bar.
The Fastest Chugger in Arkansas?
While the overall championship times determined the state champions, organizers also recognized some remarkable individual performances.
Thanks to electronic timing that recorded both drinking and running splits, the competition revealed who was fastest at each part of the beer mile.
And some of those numbers are impressive.
Kaleb Kovitch: King of the Chug
Kaleb Kovitch earned two special awards for his beer-drinking performance.
Kovitch recorded the fastest single beer time of the entire event at just 4.66 seconds.
Yes, 4.66 seconds to finish a 12-ounce beer.
He also recorded the fastest cumulative drinking time, consuming all four beers in a combined 1 minute, 1.52 seconds.
While most runners spend months working on their mile times, Kovitch demonstrated that there’s another way to shave valuable seconds off a beer mile.
Kenneth Broyles: Fastest Feet on the Course
Not to be outdone, Kenneth Broyles demonstrated that the running portion of the beer mile still matters.
Broyles recorded the fastest individual quarter-mile running segment of the event at 1:08.21.
He also posted the fastest cumulative running time, completing all four running segments in 4:55.46.
That made him the only participant to complete the running portion of the competition in less than five minutes.
His cumulative running performance wasn’t a separate award category, but it was one of the afternoon’s most impressive athletic achievements.
Special on-track awards were supported by Gearhead Outfitters, which provided gift cards recognizing exceptional performances and memorable moments throughout the competition.
Official 2026 Arkansas State Championship Beer Mile Results
The event featured six divisions, with three competitive categories for men and women. The following are the top three finishers in each division.
All times include the beer-drinking and running portions of the event. The women’s championship time reflects the updated figure reported in the organizers’ Oct. 26 news release.
Elite Men
| Place | Competitor | Finish time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derek King | 6:59.67 |
| 2 | Shane Poland | 7:00.10 |
| 3 | James Strohmeyer | 7:25.86 |
Elite Women
| Place | Competitor | Finish time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madison Frankum | 8:26.51 |
| 2 | Amy Huston | 9:50.39 |
| 3 | Rebecca Blaylock | 10:29.37 |
Recreational Men
| Place | Competitor | Finish time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam York | 8:21.91 |
| 2 | Lance Lawhon | 8:25.24 |
| 3 | Jon Rice | 8:35.35 |
Recreational Women
| Place | Competitor | Finish time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bethany Mooney | 10:25.45 |
| 2 | Shannon Lausch Breech | 11:15.93 |
| 3 | Nancy Ferguson | 12:15.55 |
Casual Men
| Place | Competitor | Finish time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brad Luyt | 9:04.02 |
| 2 | Russell Curtner | 10:16.33 |
| 3 | Stephen Scott | 10:55.42 |
Casual Women
| Place | Competitor | Finish time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meagan Tapia | 9:23.69 |
| 2 | Madeline Lawhon | 12:07.14 |
| 3 | Deane Marks | 12:12.17 |
The Recreational Men’s division delivered another close contest, with Sam York winning in 8:21.91, just 3.33 seconds ahead of Lance Lawhon.
In the Recreational Women’s division, Bethany Mooney took the top spot in 10:25.45.
Brad Luyt won the Casual Men’s division in 9:04.02, while Meagan Tapia captured the Casual Women’s division with a 9:23.69.
Tapia’s time was faster than the second-place Elite Women’s finish, making it another standout performance among the division leaders.
Drinking Beer, Running Miles and Giving Bikes Away
As entertaining as watching people attempt to run a mile while consuming four beers might be, the event also had a purpose beyond creating memorable race stories.
This year’s charitable beneficiary was Recycle Bikes for Kids, a North Little Rock-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has been putting people on bicycles in Central Arkansas since 2008.
The nonprofit began when founder Ron King set out to refurbish 100 bicycles for children at Christmas. What started as a relatively modest project grew into an organization that has distributed more than 25,000 bicycles.
That’s a lot of kids discovering the freedom of two wheels.
The concept is simple. People donate bicycles they no longer need. Volunteers repair and refurbish them. Then the bikes find new homes with children and adults who can put them to good use.
For children, receiving a bicycle can mean independence, adventure and the chance to explore their neighborhoods with friends.
For adults, a bicycle can be much more than recreation. It can provide transportation to work, school, shopping and other everyday destinations.
The organization also operates an Earn-a-Bike program, allowing adults and older teenagers to volunteer their time in exchange for a refurbished bicycle.
Along the way, participants can learn basic bicycle maintenance skills while helping prepare more bikes for the next recipients.
The championship brought together runners, cyclists, rugby players, local businesses, volunteers and spectators in support of the organization.
Got an Old Bike? They Want It.
If the beer mile has inspired you to contribute to the community, there’s an easy way to help, and it doesn’t require drinking anything.
Recycle Bikes for Kids operates from its workshop at 717 E. 10th St. in North Little Rock, not far from the Argenta District.
The organization accepts donated bicycles, including bikes that need repairs. Even bicycles that are beyond saving can provide parts to get others rolling again.
Volunteers are also welcome, and you don’t have to know the difference between a derailleur and a disc brake to help.
There are opportunities to organize the workshop, assist visitors, prepare bikes for distribution and help with community events.
Financial contributions also help keep the operation moving.
For an organization built around the simple joy of riding a bicycle, every donated bike and volunteer hour can make a difference.
Same Time Next Year? We’ll Drink to That.
The Arkansas State Championship Beer Mile has all the ingredients of an event that could become an Argenta tradition: a lively downtown setting, competitive racing, enthusiastic participants and a healthy willingness to laugh at yourself.
Well, perhaps “healthy” isn’t the best word for a race involving four beers.
Still, events like this remind us that outdoor recreation doesn’t always have to be about training plans, personal records or expensive equipment.
Sometimes it’s about getting together with friends, doing something a little ridiculous and supporting a good cause in the process.
Organizers have confirmed plans to continue the Arkansas State Championship Beer Mile as an annual event, with information about the next championship expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
For now, Arkansas has crowned its inaugural beer mile champions, Recycle Bikes for Kids has gained additional community support, and Argenta has hosted another memorable afternoon.
As for the competitors, they can proudly say they completed a mile while drinking four beers.
The rest of us can simply raise a glass to their accomplishment.
Turn left. Drink beer. Repeat.
This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens, thank you for supporting our work!