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Beer. It’s one of the oldest drinks known to mankind. It’s probably behind a few of your more questionable life choices, but is it behind a marathon PR? These 11 races will give you the opportunity to see just how far you can run while sampling local beers. Here’s everything you need to know before signing up for your first beer marathon.
Read on for some common beer marathon questions, or skip right to the races below.
- French Beer Marathons
- Belgian Beer Marathons
- British Beer Marathons
- Spanish Beer Marathons
- Czech Beer Runs
- Honorable Beer Run Mentions
Why Run a Beer Marathon?
You’re probably asking yourself right now, why should I bother running a beer marathon? I can drink beer, and I can run a marathon, why combine them and make it difficult. I’ll tell you right now, it’s the atmosphere. Yes, I’ve had fun while running a marathon. But I’ve never bonded with random strangers during a normal marathon. I’ve never joined dance parties or watched runners bodyflop into a fountain while the band plays during a normal marathon. Think of the most impactful drunk bathroom bar conversation you’ve ever had, now multiply that by 1,000. That’s the atmosphere of a boozy marathon. Everyone is drunk on beer and endorphins, feeling just incredible.
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Registering for a Beer Marathon
Registration for a beer marathon will typically follow the same path as a normal marathon. There is just one place where it may be different. You may need to provide a medical certificate before you run a beer race. I’ve gotten medical certificates in the past and find it very easy to do. My doctor just wanted a Stress Test and an EKG before she was willing to sign off on me being medically able to run a boozy marathon.
What to Wear During a Beer Marathon
Drinking beer while racing is ridiculous. So your outfit probably should be too. Many beer marathons encourage runners to wear unique outfits and costumes to really feel the party atmosphere. This isn’t a time when you want to be “too cool” to dress up. You will look foolish as the only runner not wearing a costume during the beer marathon.
Where to Stay for a Beer Marathon
An important thing to remember about beer marathons is that the races typically take place in smaller villages. As soon as you register for a race I recommend finding your hotel. For a race like this I always prefer being in the same city as the start and finish. When I ran the Marathon du Medoc, a French Wine Marathon, I stayed an hour away from the race in the city of Bordeaux. While the city was lovely, the train ride while drunk was not.
What’s the Bathroom Situation in a Beer Marathon?
Before signing up for any of these races, ask yourself: how do I feel about peeing in a field? Because realistically that may be your only option. If you think a normal marathon doesn’t have enough toilets, just wait until you run a marathon while drinking something that makes you have to pee even more than water. They will have toilets available, but never enough. During the Beaujolais Wine Marathon I only saw two portapotties on the entire course. Marathon du Medoc had more toilets, but they all had super long lines.
Course Limits During a Beer Marathon
Like a normal marathon, beer marathons still need to get the runners off the road and reopen them to traffic, which does result in time limits that may seem a bit short. A lot of them will give runners roughly six and a half hours to complete the race. If you’re asking yourself how much longer does a beer marathon take than a normal marathon, I can share my own times. Now, I haven’t run a beer marathon, but I have run a wine marathon. And I found that my wine marathon took an additional two hours compared to my normal marathon time. According to my watch, this was roughly an extra hour of moving time, and an hour of standing time as I drank the wine.
The Beer
Finally, let’s talk about the beer. If you’re going to race an entire beer marathon, you should make sure that you are doing it with a beer you actually enjoy. The most famous race is the Belgian Beer Lovers in Liege, but the point of this article is to help you find the race that will best suit your needs. I even included the Ciderthon in the UK for those of you who like their drinks a bit sweeter. And if you don’t like beer at all, why are you here? Go read my list of every wine marathon in Europe to find something more your speed.
French Beer Marathons
Le Marathon de la Biere
Holding the title of the first beer marathon in France, Le Marathon de la Biere follows in the footsteps of the Marathon du Medoc to the south. This beer marathon has 15 beer tastings in the full, and 8 tastings in the half, along with mandatory costumes to match each year’s theme.
When is it: Sunday, June 8th, 2025
Closest Airport: For this beer marathon I’d recommend flying into Lyon and staying in the city of Saint-Etienne, approximately 30 minutes from the start.
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Flanders Beer Marathon
This French beer marathon lies on the Belgian border, near the famous World War Two city of Dunkirk. The race offers 4, 7, or 12 tasting points in the 13k, half, or full marathon, respectively. The half and full both pass through a village that has been voted one of the most beautiful in France, Esquelbecq. You have six and a half hours to complete the marathon, with time barriers at the halfway point after three and half hours, and the 30k mark after five hours. If you don’t pass before these times you will be pulled from the course.
When is it: Sunday, September 28th, 2025
Closest Airport: The closest airport to this small village is the Ostend–Bruges International Airport, however if there are no flights available from your departure city you have two other major cities to fly into. Paris is just under three hours by train, and the city of Brussels can be reached in two hours.
Belgian Beer Marathons
Liege Beer Lovers Marathon
Arguably the most famous of the beer marathons, the Beer Lovers Marathon, or the Liege Beer Marathon is guaranteed to sell out every year. The race offers 17 aid stations, each one with a unique beer on offer. While there is food available, the foods Belgium is famous for do not start until the final 5k. Then you will be able to sample fries, waffles, cheeses, and more traditional foods.
When is it: Sunday, May 18th 2025
Closest Airport: If you’d like to participate in this race, I suggest flying into the Brussels Airport. It will take just under an hour by train to reach the city of Liege.
Great Breweries Marathon
Located directly between the cities of Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent, the Great Breweries Marathon features a beer tasting every 5k for Marathon or 25k walkers. I specify walkers, because if you sign up to run either of these races you will not be allowed to drink until the finish line.
When is it: Sunday, May 4th, 2025
Closest Airport: I recommend flying into Brussels, and staying in Brussels, Antwerp, or Ghent. Brussels will be slightly closer than the others, just 45 minutes away.
British Beer Marathons
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Ciderthon
Inspired after running the Marathon du Medoc, the creators of the Ciderthon sought to bring that same running energy back to the UK, but with a regional twist. This half marathon offers 12 cider tastings during the race, along with a celebratory pint at the finish line.
In addition, this race offers runners the option to set up a tent on their property and camp out during the race weekend. There is also a shuttle that runs from Henley to the race start.
When is it: Saturday, July 19th, 2025
Closest airport: From Heathrow you can get to Henley in 90 minutes with several transfers. If you would prefer a direct, but longer, route fly into Gatwick and take the train for two and a half hours.
Beer 21
The Beer 21 has trail runners doing 7 three mile laps with a beer at the end of each lap. To finish the race you’ll have to drink one starting beer, 7 race beers, and then one final beer after stopping at the race’s pop-up kebab shop, where you have to eat a kebab. Despite being less than a full marathon, this event arguably has runners drinking the most beer out of any races listed so far.
When is it: Saturday, June 7th, 2025
Closest airport: Take your pick of any London airport, as the race is just over an hour from the city.
Spanish Beer Marathons
Beer Race Cervesa Artesana
At only 10k, this isn’t technically a beer marathon, but it is a great option for people who are looking to try their first beer run and aren’t sure about the longer distance. Runners will have three opportunities to sample local beers during the race, which some people could say is the perfect amount.
When is it: Saturday, May 17th, 2025
Closest Airport: The closest airport to this race is the Barcelona airport, just 90 minutes away by public transportation.
Czech Beer Runs
Lusatian Mountains Beer Trail
Alright you caught me, this isn’t a beer race. But I felt it deserved a place of honor on this list as it does combine beautiful hikes and breweries in the Czech Republic. This trail can be completed over a long weekend of hiking in the Lusatian Mountains, an area that is famous for their breweries. While hiking you’ll be able to take many stops at local breweries and enjoy a beer. It is also possible to bike this route. There are a variety of beer trails you can select, or you can do the full trail of 155km.
Closest Airport: You have two options for flights into this region, but both will require some additional travel to reach the mountains. Dresden airport is closer, but smaller, and Prague Airport is further away but it will definitely have a flight heading in.
Honorable Beer Run Mentions
Kastenlauf
This isn’t a marathon. It’s a traditional team event that is popular in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland called a Crate Race, or Kastenlauf. The goal of the 7km race is to cross the finish line first after drinking an entire crate of 20 beers with your team of two to four people. You are not allowed to place the crate on the ground and there are time penalties at the finish for any beers left untouched, and for any missing bottles or caps (no littering here).
If you would like to participate in one, I suggest Google searching Kastenlauf plus your travel dates and base city.
Beer Mile
How can I talk about beer and running without talking about the Beer Mile? A short race on the track, runners must drink a beer before starting each of the four laps that they’ll run. The first person to drink four beers and run four laps wins. While these aren’t specific to Europe, and you can find them in the U.S. and across the globe, it could still be a fun addition to your next trip.
Similar to Kastenlaufs, if you want to find one, I suggest searching beer mile plus the name of the city you are visiting to see if there is one that overlaps with your trip.
If any of these races sound perfect for you, but you aren’t sure if you know how to handle the logistics of planning something like this, let me help. Check out my travel planning services to see how I can help you create your dream runcation.
