This weekend at Full Vineman (which I am volunteering for) the race directors decided to have cup free racing. To the great annoyance of everybody racing, they announced this two weeks before the event, and so after much hate mail, they decided to have cups until 7:00 PM. (sorry everybody who takes longer than that to finish)

For those of you who don't know what it is this link will show the company they will be using.

now, the Hydra Pouch and the filling system are actually decent ideas, particularly for runners who don't like spilling water. But for triathletes, I would think that most of us like to cool off at aid stations, by taking a couple of cups and dumping one over our heads. This can be done, but you will have to stop to fill it up twice. Also the race only gives you one, so if you drop it, bye bye drinking on the run. If you want to have both Gatorade and water, good luck getting the taste out.
Also, anybody who does not like a bouncy water bottle on them during the whole race (like people who hate fuelbelts) just could not stand to use it, and forcing athletes who paid $300-400 for an IM distance triathlon is just not the greatest policy.

Now for people who have fuelbelts, or like having time to drink, sure great idea, the filling system would even be great for the volunteers, but should it be the only option? Not at all.

anyway enough ranting, good luck to anyone who is doing the race. And any thoughts? good idea or bad? do you agree with me? just wondering...

what genius thought of charging $13.95 for a rubber pouch like drinking medium, instant value!

Yikes, that is a mess. They would be better off handing out bottles of water so that people can bypass a station of two if they don't consume so much. I did the half last year and as hot as it was, those stations went through some cups. I carried a handheld and stopped at every station for ice because I drank about 18 ounces of water in between stations.

They do give them to the racers at packet pickup for free, but that is also the day before the race, and everybody knows not to try something new race day.

It's a good thought, but it was a bit late in the game. For me, it doesn't matter, as I am carrying a hand held bottle. Having the cups of water at the aid staions to throw on my head is nice, but I acheive the same effect by putting ice in my running hat, and letting it melt.

Either way, thanks for volunteering, I will be running the course tomorrow, without volunteers, we could not do this!

I am glad I read the posts. I kept thinking when I saw the OP: Who the heck wears a cup when he races in a tri?