LAP

Lewis keeps the pace fast but smooth. ‘ Run within yourself,’ he recommends. The tough parts are to come. However, at his 2015 record, he shifted strategy. ‘ I decided from the gun I was just going to go as hard as I could for as long as I could. It ended up turning out well.’ Lewis checks his splits in the chug zone to ensure he’s on pace. For newer competitors, he recommends slowing down slightly at the end of the first and second laps to catch your breath. ‘ You’d rather lose a second or two and be able to get the beer down in one go,’ he explains. More and more, elite athletes such as Nick Symmonds are trying their hand at the beer mile. Lewis might let them surge ahead early, but relies on his experience: ‘ By the time they’re taking 20 seconds on their third beer, I’ve gained 15 on them and they can’t run as fast,’ he says. Lewis aims to speed up each 100 metres. An all-out sprint too early might trigger a ‘ chunder’, which carries a one-lap penalty. Thus far, he’s evaded the dreaded retch. ‘ By the last 100m, even if you’re feeling a little sick, you can usually risk it and just hammer it home,’ he says.