Water Stations
Being well hydrated and drinking little and often is essential for achieving your best performance.
We are committed to reducing the carbon footprint of the event wherever possible and our aim is to reduce the amount of single use plastic as well as minimise the amount of water that is wasted.
There are 4 water stations on the half marathon course located at 3, 6, 9 and 11.5 miles and water will also be available at the finish line. A High5 Energy Gel Aqua will be available for all runners at mile 6.
This year, all four water stations on the course will use paper cups instead of water bottles.
Some runners may be concerned about how to use paper cups, having not used them in their training or at other races. Don’t worry, thousands use cups in other races and events successfully, including elite athletes – it is unlikely to cause you to lose vital minutes. A few tips:
- Stop for drinks as you have planned in your training – remember you don’t need to drink at every station, forcing yourself to drink too much water during a race is as dangerous as drinking too little.
- Grab the cup and squeeze the top. This will create a funnel to control the pouring of water and also limit the amount of water splashing out.
- Remember, you don’t need to get all the water down in a few seconds; you can take your time while drinking and remember to breathe.
If you can, try this out in your training. - When done, please throw your cup to the side of the road, within the “Litter Drop Zone”.
- Check out this video on how to drink from a cup during a race.