Sustainability v safety - Paris Marathon's water dilemma
All eyes in the running world will be on the French capital this weekend as single-use cups and plastic bottles will not be available at the Paris Marathon on Sunday - the first time it has happened at a mass participation event. Instead, runners will be required to carry their own hydration container - whether that's a soft flask, collapsible cup, or hydration pack on their back - that they will be able to refill at water points along the course. The decision has divided the road-running community, with some runners abandoning their personal best attempts and others celebrating the shift towards sustainability.
Organisers say the decision will not affect performance and this is the future of mass participation events. BBC Sport understands representatives from the London, New York and Chicago marathons, which are all on a similar scale to Paris, will be on the ground to observe how the system works. BBC Sport speaks to two runners taking part in Paris.
Cari Brown is hooked on marathons and is preparing to compete in her 11th on Sunday. After learning of the changes, she felt forced to abandon her plans to run a personal best in Paris and entered a different race to chase her goal. "Unfortunately, it's not going to be my goal marathon.
Any runner who has to stop and start to get water, it's going to affect your time and it's going to affect your cadence," Brown said. Her biggest disappointment, though, is the decision to allow pre-filled personal water bottles on the course for runners targeting a time under two hours and 50 minutes. It is a common practice in elite races to avoid athletes losing time at hydration stations, but generally not a luxury extended to those in the wider event.
"That is a massive advantage to generally younger male runners, as on average their marathon times are quicker. It also gives recognition to the fact that it [stopping for water] does affect your time," Brown adds. The IT manager from Woking will be running the streets of Paris with a hydration backpack.