Breakfast Club: Port Mile Relays

breakfast club

the east bay's running newsletter 

Good afternoon!

On Friday evening twenty-seven teams toed a line of chalk near the Berkeley shoreline for the Fourth Annual Port Mile Relays.  The sun sagged lazily over the San Francisco Bay, drenching everything in a gilded sheen.
 
Port Mile Relays is a twist on the classic four-person relay: every runner races a mile at top speed.  The caveat is that at each exchange participants must finish a 12oz cup of beer before the next runner can begin.  The first team to run four miles and finish four beers wins. 

An unsanctioned urban race, the PMR was formerly held in the Oakland Port proper, until the authorities angrily booted the event from Middle Harbor Park with stern language and much wagging of fingers.  So this year's relay was held in Caesar Chavez Park.

Despite the low-key organizing, minimal marketing, and utterly non-existent prize money, over 140 folks showed up to race, watch, and cheer.  The vibe was inclusive, the miles were fast…