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When you’re mid-race and running on fumes, the last thing you want is to stop and queue up for a flimsy cup of water. Turns out, you don’t have to anymore.
HydraPak, the name behind the soft flasks, SpeedCups™, and reservoirs you’ve probably already used at a trail race, just dropped a landmark study that could reshape how road and trail events handle hydration.
The takeaway? Self-serve, refillable water systems are not only viable, they’re more efficient than traditional disposable-cup stations.
A better model, backed by science
To test the impact of their Sustainable Racing program, HydraPak enlisted crowd dynamics expert Marcel Altenburg, whose simulation software has been used at World Marathon Majors like Chicago and New York.
The research focused on the 2024 and 2025 La Jolla Half Marathons, events that replaced single-use cups with WaterMonster™ tanks, UltraSpout dispensers, SpeedFill pitchers, and HydraPak SpeedCups.
Using ultra-precise race data and advanced flow modeling, Altenburg found that refillable setups didn’t just match traditional ones, they actually exceeded them.
Key findings:
- 4.2 UltraSpouts per 100 runners/min is the magic number for smooth flow, with a 150% safety buffer built in.
- One UltraSpout can replace up to 2 volunteers, potentially halving staffing needs.
- The modeled system could hydrate 250 runners per minute, without stress or backup.
- Most importantly? Runners don’t have to wait.
If you have enough UltraSpouts, racers will never have to wait again.
– Marcel Altenburg
Why this matters, for race directors and runners
Beyond the environmental win of eliminating cups (which often litter post-race streets and trails), this model makes races easier to manage.
Less cleanup. Less waste. Fewer volunteers needed. And smoother flow through aid stations.
As Kevin Huff, founder of WaterMonster, puts it:
It’s a five-fold win. No paper cup waste, fewer tables, fewer volunteers, lower costs, and real sustainability progress.
Kevin Huff, founder of WaterMonster
And it’s not just for grassroots trail events. From The Rut to Broken Arrow Skyrace, trail communities have long embraced “bring your own bottle” culture.
But now, road races are catching up and they’ve got the proof to make the leap confidently.
Changing the narrative, one cup at a time
One of the biggest hurdles? Tradition.
“Race directors are hesitant to change,” says Bart Calame, La Jolla’s RD.
“But after trying HydraPak’s system, we’re not going back. It’s easier. It’s better. And it’s the right thing to do for our city and our runners.”
Even at scale, the numbers hold up. Replacing tens of thousands of single-use cups with just a few refill points may sound risky but the data says otherwise.
And with runners increasingly aware of their environmental impact, this shift aligns with what many of us want anyway: cleaner events that don’t compromise performance.
The future of racing is in your hands, literally
At the core, HydraPak’s vision is simple:
Every athlete should carry their own hydration.
To support that, their Sustainable Racing program offers free SpeedCups, discounted event pricing, and resources to help RDs transition smoothly. And with Altenburg’s report now public, the blueprint is available to races everywhere.
For trail runners, this feels like a continuation of what we already do. But for the road scene, it could be revolutionary.
So whether you’re lining up for your first half marathon or your tenth ultra, the message is this: the best way to reduce race-day waste is to carry your own, and refill the smart way.
