Gigantic Brewing’s Mill Ends Red Is Back, Now With Its Own Road Race

Portland’s newest, shortest race should be pretty doable even for those who haven’t put fitness first lately: it’s only 0.15k long. That’s about two blocks.

Gigantic Brewing and the nonprofit organization Weird Portland United are throwing a beer release party for Mill Ends Red, a fan-favorite beer back for its second year. Gigantic brewed it in honor of the World’s Smallest Park, downtown Portland’s own 452-square-inch Mill Ends Park on Southwest Naito Parkway.

The race will travel 0.15k to Paddy’s Bar and Grill, meaning that this will be a pairing of the world’s smallest park and Portland’s shortest race and the city’s oldest Irish Pub. Event organizers invite participants for “dancing, jigging or walking, but absolutely no running.” Costumes are encouraged.

Last year, Gigantic and Weird Portland United paraded from Mill Ends to Paddy’s, but this year WPU founder Brian Kidd (aka The Unipiper), wanted to take it a step further and add a road race.

“We’re happy that the response to the beer was so positive last year and that is why it has been brought back this year,” Kidd says. “We hope to see this race become a new annual tradition—a big race for a small park.”

Mill Ends Red is an Irish red described by Gigantic Brewmaster Ben Love as “a dance of malt sophistication, with decadent caramel sweetness and a hint of hop bitterness, delivering a smooth libation.”

Love is hoping that the Mill Ends 0.15k becomes an annual tradition.

Mill Ends Red is the ninth in a series of collaborations between Gigantic Brewing and WPU since 2022 that has included Unipiper Hazy IPA, PDX Adult Soapbox Derby Summer Ale, Poison Waters Beermosa and Portland Elvis Gold Lager. The series has raised $6,000 in support of Weird Portland United’s efforts to “sustain a normal level of weird for the Rose City,” according to Kidd.

Mill Ends Red will be available at all three Gigantic locations plus select bottle shops and bars starting March 1.

GO: Gigantic Brewing and Weird Portland United’s Mill Ends Park 0.15k at Mill Ends Park, 56 SW Taylor St. facebook.com/events/1371767420671515. Sign up at 1:30 pm Saturday, March 1; race starts at 2 pm. Beer release afterparty at Paddy’s Bar and Grill, 65 SW Yamhill St. at 2:05–4:30 pm Saturday, March 1. Free. All ages.