LEITH Poole and Madge Gai finished first in their respective divisions of the 3rd Annual Michelob Ultra Beer Mile 2024 at the Saipan Vegas Country Club on Friday, which was also International Beer Day.
The unique race required each runner to drink a can of Michelob Ultra before taking on each of the four 400m-laps through a wet grassy field.
The combination of booze and running proved to be a challenge for most of the participants, but not for Poole.
He finished the first can of beer without hesitation and took the lead, which he maintained throughout four laps while drinking three more cans of beer to finish with a time of 7:32 — his personal best.
Poole, who topped the inaugural race in 2022, finished second last year. The physical education teacher at Marianas High School prepared for this year’s race by not drinking water for three hours and having one meal only before the race. “I tried to relax and tried not to get the nerves to get a hold of me because when you’re competing in the Beer Mile, it’s not the same as doing it and jogging — it’s about winning,” Poole said.
“A lot of the guys are faster runners than me, but when they’ve had beer, they cannot run,” he said.
In the inaugural race, Poole joined just for the fun of being able to drink and run, but after finishing first, he realized that it was something that he could be really good at. “I just combined the two and I realized when I first did it that it was a unique experience. I was intimidated by the runners when I first came and I wasn’t planning on being in the Top 10, but I won,” Poole said.
Taking second place this year was Greg Trusso at 8:17 while Aaron Pamintuan came in third at 8:29.
Women’s division
In the women’s division, Madge Gai, dressed in a black bikini and a gold skirt, competed in high spirits and finished first with a time of 9:53, beating defending champion Rosemarie Chisato, who settled for second place at 10:26, while Soledad Tenorio came in third at 10:36.
Although Gai struggled after the third lap and beer, she said she pushed her feelings aside to clinch the title. A Chinese-English court interpreter, she always had an interest in the race but only made her appearance this year due to conflicts of schedule in the past years.
As part of the Saipan Hash group, whose members regularly hike and drink in the jungle, the race was not much of a challenge for her. “I have been training for years for this race,” she added. Gai also competed in the Saipan Marathon, which was held in March, and plans to join the Run Saipan half-marathon later this month.
The corporate relay division results will be featured in Variety’s next edition.
Leith Poole raises his hands as he tops the men’s division of the 3rd Annual Michelob Ultra Beer Mile 2024 at the Saipan Vegas Country Club on Friday.
Madge Gai celebrates as she finishes first in the women’s division of the 3rd Annual Michelob Ultra Beer Mile 2024 the Saipan Vegas Country Club on Friday.
More photos from the 3rd Annual Michelob Ultra Beer Mile 2024 at the Saipan Vegas Country Club on Friday.
