Practise Drinking While Running: Master Marathon Aid Stations Before Race Day
Running, August 17, 2026
Drinking while running is a marathon skill worth practising before race day. Learn how to approach aid stations, drink effectively from cups, combine hydration with fuelling, and develop a strategy that works for you. Rehearsing these small details during training can make race-day execution smoother and less stressful.
Drinking during a marathon sounds simple.
Then you arrive at a crowded aid station with runners slowing down, changing direction, grabbing cups, and trying to drink while maintaining their pace.
Suddenly, something simple becomes another skill you need to execute under pressure.
That's why drinking while running should be practised during your marathon training—not learnt on race day.
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Practise Your Aid-Station Routine
Use some of your long runs to practise how you'll approach hydration during your marathon.
If your race provides cups, practise drinking from a cup while moving. Gently pinching the top of a paper cup can create a smaller opening, making it easier to take controlled sips without wearing half the drink.
You can also experiment with slowing down or briefly walking while you drink.
Losing a few seconds at an aid station is far better than rushing through, spilling most of your drink, and failing to take on the fluid you intended.
Know What's Coming
Before your marathon, check the race information and find out:
Where the aid stations are located.
Whether drinks are provided in cups or bottles.
What sports drink will be available.
Which stations provide water, sports drink, or nutrition.
Knowing what's ahead allows you to make your decision before reaching the station rather than reacting at the last second.
Combine Drinking With Fuelling
Hydration and fuelling shouldn't be treated as completely separate strategies.
If you're planning to take gels, practise when you'll take them in relation to your drinks.
Your training should rehearse the complete sequence:
Run. Fuel. Drink. Settle back into your rhythm.
The more often you've practised this during training, the more automatic it becomes on race day.
Don't Assume More Is Better
Your hydration needs are individual and will also change depending on race-day conditions.
The goal isn't to drink as much as possible at every aid station.
It's to develop a sensible hydration strategy during training that works for you and then adapt appropriately to the conditions on race day.
Practise the Little Things
Marathon preparation isn't only about developing the fitness to cover 42.2 kilometres.
It's also about rehearsing everything you'll need to do along the way.
Practise grabbing your drink.
Practise drinking while moving.
Practise slowing down if necessary.
Practise combining your hydration and fuelling.
Then, when you reach a busy aid station during your marathon, you're not trying to figure everything out for the first time.
You're simply executing something you've already practised.
The little things can make a big difference over 42.2 kilometres.
Want to Learn More?
I've written a more detailed guide covering marathon aid-station technique, drinking from cups, walking through aid stations, hydration planning, avoiding overdrinking, and combining hydration with your race-day fuelling strategy.
👉 Read the full article on CoachRay.nz: