Should I Carry My Own Fluids or Use Water Stops?

A common question I hear from runners on the team that I coach is, "Should I carry my own fluids during my race?" It's a tough question to answer because there are pros and cons to both carrying your own fluids and relying on the water stops, and each runner has his or her own preferences and habits.

Some of the benefits of carrying your own fluids include:

• You can avoid traffic jams at water stops by running right through them (as long as you don't have to refill your bottle/pack).
• You can carry the brand/flavor of sports drink that you prefer.
• You can drink when you're thirsty and not have to time your hydration based on the water stops.
• If you're eating on the run, you don't have to worry about coordinating your energy gels with the spacing of the water stops.
• If you haven't quite mastered the art of taking water from the hydration stops, you don't have to worry about spilling water all over yourself.

But there are also some benefits to using the hydration stops and not carrying your own fluids:

• You don't have to worry about your arms getting tired (from holding a bottle) or feeling weighed down (by wearing a belt or pack). The more you carry, the slower you will run.
• You don't have to waste time refilling bottles.
• You're more likely to get cold fluids. Water in water bottles and hydrations belts/packs tends to get warm quickly, due to body heat. Water and sports drinks at the hydration stops are generally cold.

It's really a matter of personal preference and comfort, so it's hard to make a recommendation to individual runners. But I will say that if you plan on running with a water bottle or hydration belt/pack for your race, you should make sure that you use it during training. The "nothing new on race day" motto applies here. You don't want to try out a brand-new hydration belt on the day of your marathon, only to discover that it bounces too much and feels very uncomfortable. Make sure you wear it for several long training runs -- and keep it on for the duration of your run. Sometimes what feels OK at mile 4 may not feel the same at mile 18.

Related:

Running and Hydration

Top Hydration Carriers

What Water Bottle/Belt/Pack Do You Recommend?

How to Take Water from Hydration Stops