Blood, Sweat, and Cheers

Soccer and beer have a longstanding, close-knit and semi-healthy relationship.

But they just officially tied the knot.

To celebrate the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the folks at Anheuser-Busch InBev are introducing Brahma Selecao Especial, a new beer made from barley grown on the Brazilian national team's training field.

The Granja Comary football pitch isn't considered suitable farm land, but it is considered sacred.

And the Brazilian Soccer Confederation recently remodeled its headquarters. So after two months of planting, rain and—-our best guess——playing Joga Bonito on loop, its barley was harvested for booze!

And sure, the cup may be months away...but it’s never too early to start tailgating.

Sadly, the lager type beer is only for sale in Brazil.

But we trust a few extra crafty (and soccer-crazed) BSC-ers can find it on the black market while looking for their next kidney.

Or, just plan your trip to Brazil (it's easier)!

This piece was originally published in Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, which provides daily email services for discovering fun stuff to do with friends, on July 3, 2014. BSC is now a part of Greatist. This is a revised version

For those of you who run marathons, or even just half-marathons, you’ve likely been called crazy a few times.

Well, crazy is all about context. So we’re here to make you feel sane.

To celebrate last Saturday's Summer Solstice (the longest day of the year), here are the longest footraces of, um, ever.

JOG-le Across Britain

Ever wonder what happens when a race is held and nocompetitors cross the finish line? Well, at the 2011 JOGLE Ultra, that actually happened! And that's part of the appeal. To become a future finisher, you need to run 860-miles from northern Scotland to southwestern England in April, when temps are frigid. JOGLE Ultra Land’s End, Scotland to John o’ Groats, England

A Marathon Times Ten

Think qualifying for The Boston Marathon is tough? You can't enter this race until you've already camped for ten days at 6,500-feet above sea level, run a 43.5-mile trail race and bought mountaineering insurance (that includes a death benefit). This 258-mile race starts alongside the Sea of Japan at midnight and ends at the Pacific Ocean. If you don't finish within eight days, you are disqualified. Trans Japan Alps Race Toyama to Shizuoka, Japan.

Uphill Battle

Most mountain climb races start at the base of the mountain. Not the Coast to Kosciuszko. It starts somewhere else—144 miles away ... at sea level. This grueling Australian event has runners take off from Boydtown Beach, Eden, racing towards the top of Mt. Kosciuszko. There are three river crossings and organizers warn support crews to &ldquot;watch out for suicidal wallabies&rdquot; The kicker? After reaching Kosciuszko's summit, racers must descend from its 7,310-foot peak, running 6 more miles till they reach the finish line at the 150-mile mark. Ouch! Coast to Kosci Ultramarathon Eden to Kosciuszko, Australia, held in December

Over The Hill

Remember kindergarten, when everyone got a participation medal? Well, that's where the similarities between Tor des Géants and childhood end. All finishers of this 204.6-mile take home prizes, but the course—covering 25 mountain passes with a total elevation gain of almost 80,000 feet!—makes that accomplishment nearly impossible. The finish is capped at 150 hours (just over six days), at which point you’ll be singing, "The Hills Are Alive!"...if you can still speak. Tor des Géants. Runs Along Alta Via 1 and Alta Via 2 of Valle d’Aosta, Italy; held in early September.

A Run to Die For

As the legend goes, the modern-day marathon was inspired by Pheidippides' journey from the Plain of Marathon to Athens...where he collapsed and died from exhaustion. The catch? Some argue he actually ran from Sparta to Athens—about 152 miles! So the modern-day Spartathlon might be the world’s truest marathon! This race covers Pheidippides’ course, and most participants take 24 hours to finish. Spartathlon Athens to Sparta, Greece; held in September.

This piece was originally published in Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, which provides daily email services for discovering fun stuff to do with friends. BSC is now a part of Greatist. This is a revised version

Tough Mudders, Warrior Dashes and ROC Races may have a niche in the obstacle-racing world, but they've got nothing on Mother Nature!

Think about it: Why build a rope wall or string barbed wire to crawl under when planet Earth provides river banks, fallen trees and mountains to climb in a natural playground course?

Starting this fall, O2X Summit Challengesseek to draw out the Tarzan in all of us—and substitute natural terrain for man-made obstacles.

The race series doesn't have vine swings...but it does have triple-black diamond courses! (That means 9+ miles and 3,000+ vertical feet.)

Concerned it's too tough?

Race organizers say these base-to-peak adventures aren't just for the super competitive. They're for outdoor enthusiasts, runners, obstacle course racers and hikers alike.

Plus, there's a campground and festival, called BaseCamp, featuring food vendors, a human performance expo and a post-race party!

Concerned about how to get back down once you've summitted?

Just take the chairlift.

This piece was originally published in Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, which provides daily email services for discovering fun stuff to do with friends, on July 10, 2014. BSC is now a part of Greatist. This is a revised version

Beer and running go together like dinosaurs and extinction,Game of Thronesand decapitation and BuzzFeed quizzes and irrelevancy.

But usually the beer comesafterthe run.

This fall, however, competitors from around the world will drink four beers during a timed mile around the track.

Alerting college track teams everywhere, it’s theBeer Mile World Championships.

Scheduled for this fall in Austin, TX, the Beer Mile World Championship will level the playing—and drinking!—field between various beer milers competing on different tracks, with different beer, in different conditions throughout the past 20 years.

Pitting the best against the best, current world record holder James Nielsen—who videotaped himselfrunning a blistering 4:57 beer mile in April—as well as 800-meter silver medalistNick Symmondswill compete.

We're not sure which beer will be served, but our bet is the one most records onBeerMile.comhave been set with: Budweiser.

And we'll cheers to that (and not puking). Beer Mile World Championships, Austin, TX;Learn more.

This piece was originally published in Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, which provides daily email services for discovering fun stuff to do with friends, on May 22, 2014. BSC is now a part of Greatist. This is a revised version

Hops Off The Pitch

This piece was originally published in Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, which provides daily email services for discovering fun stuff to do with friends, on July 3, 2014. BSC is now a part of Greatist. This is a revised version

Five Races To Insanely Test Your Limits

JOG-le Across Britain

A Marathon Times Ten

Uphill Battle

Over The Hill

A Run to Die For

This piece was originally published in Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, which provides daily email services for discovering fun stuff to do with friends. BSC is now a part of Greatist. This is a revised version

O2X Summit Challenges

This piece was originally published in Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, which provides daily email services for discovering fun stuff to do with friends, on July 10, 2014. BSC is now a part of Greatist. This is a revised version

Beer Mile World Championships

This piece was originally published in Blood, Sweat, and Cheers, which provides daily email services for discovering fun stuff to do with friends, on May 22, 2014. BSC is now a part of Greatist. This is a revised version