The Barry Island 10K is trialing cups at its on-course water station for the first time.
Cups of water will be given to runners at the 5K mark at Romilly Park and they will also receive a bottle of Brecon Carreg water at the finish line.
Event organisers Run 4 Wales are carrying out the trial as it looks at alternative ways to deliver hydration at its events. Alongside the cups of water, jugs of water will also be made available for those who want to fill up their own water vessels.
While many races already use cups at their water stations, runners who are new to this, don’t need to worry.
Drinking from a cup is very easy while running:
- When taking the cup, pick it up from the top
- Pinch the lip together to create a spout – this will avoid it spilling and ensure it goes into your mouth
- Take small sips of water when needed rather than one big gulp – any water remaining can be poured over yourself to help cool you down if you’re getting too hot
Run 4 Wales has been working on a number of initiatives to improve the sustainability of the event including trialling alternative methods of delivering hydration on course, using 100% recyclable water bottles at the finish line and introducing litter pickers at the back of the race pack to help clear up any rubbish left behind by runners.
This is thanks to the support of its partnership with Brecon Carreg.
Eleri Morgan, Brand Manager at Brecon Carreg, said: “”Sustainability is a key priority for us at Brecon Carreg, which is why we fully support Run 4 Wales in trialling reusable cups at the Barry Island 10K. All our bottles are 100% recyclable and made with 30% recycled plastic. While we believe plastic bottles still have a role—especially at running events—we’ll continue providing water at the finish line. Please use the recycling bins on site to help give our bottles a second life.”
Rachel Madge, Senior Event Manager at Run 4 Wales, added: “The Barry Island 10K is one of our smaller road running events and with just one water station around the course we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to trial offering cups of water and refill jugs at the event.
“This wouldn’t be possible without the support of Brecon Carreg, who we’ve been working closely with on a number of recycling initiatives across our whole portfolio of events.”