Runner drinking from her water bottle
May 21, 2019

The best running water bottles and hydration packs

Proper hydration is crucial when you're out on a run of any length, particularly as the weather heats up. And, come race day, you're going to want to ensure that you've got the proper running gear to ensure you stay hydrated and avoid hitting the wall.

Why is hydration so important?

Roughly 60% of the human body is made up of water. It’s vital in many ways, from regulating our body temperature and supporting digestion, to cushioning and lubricating our joints, and protecting them from injury and inflammation.

The recommendation is to aim to drink 2 litres a day. This works out as 8 x 8-ounce glasses (or half your body weight in ounces/day). However, if you’re doing exercise you’ll need to drink much more than the daily average to make up for all that’s lost as you sweat. If not, you could be at risk of dehydration, seen in the form of headaches, light-headedness, cramps or fatigue. So it’s important that we replenish our body with adequate water.

Tips for staying hydrated while running

  1. Try to drink lots prior and post run but only ‘drink to thirst’ on your run to avoid feeling bloated. If you feel you really need to drink on your run though, don’t worry, that age old story of you getting a stitch from drinking whilst running isn’t necessarily true, often this actually arises from breathing difficulties!
  2. If you’re running less than 30-60 minutes, drinking on the run isn’t normally necessary. But if longer, you should be taking sips every 20 minutes or so.
  3. Try to avoid alcohol or caffeine pre and post running  - both dehydrate you.
  4. If your urine is pale it’s normally a sign you’re hydrated, if it’s dark, you need to drink up!
  5. Cravings are often a sign of thirst, not hunger. So take a moment to think before you reach for that snack.
  6. If you’re struggling to drink enough water, try adding a couple of slices of fresh lemon, cucumber, lime or mint to give it a bit more taste, it’s also super refreshing!

Best running hydration gear

Adidas Terrex Trail Running Vest

With enough space for water, gels, food, and other essentials like your phone / keys, the Terrex vest is an ideal addition for runners looking to take on a big trail running challenge. It comes at a price though - at £130 this really is top of the range equipment.

Salomon Unisex Adv Skin 12 Set Rucksack

When it comes to running hydration vests, this is the number one choice amongst the Let's Do This team. Described as comfortable, surprisingly spacious, and exceptionally durable - this running hydration vest has enough space for plenty of water, running gels, and even a spare jacket if you're out on a long run or even taking on a multi-day running adventure.

Salomon running hydration vest

HydraPak UltraFlask 500ml Running Bottles

If you do decide that a hydration vest is right for you, then you're going to want to invest in the right bottles. The HydraPak running bottles are highly recommended because of their wider tops - making them easier to fill up at aid stations during an event, and also to add energy tablets or powder to your water.

Hydrapak running water bottles

Flip Belt Running Bottle

This nifty little design which will sit snugly inside any belt or pocket, allowing you to run hands free. Starting at £8.95, this is a great buy for speeding around the city on your favourite running routes. The bottle comes in different sizes, from 175ml to 320ml.

Osprey Duro Handheld

This product is awesome, seriously. If you're a fan of handheld running water bottles then this is the one for you. Allowing for 250ml of water, this running water bottle also frees up your fingers so that you can easily check your phone if required. On top of that, it's got a small pocket that you can stash your keys or other small items into. At £26, it's not going to hurt your bank account too much either.

Camelbak Eddy Bottle

Camelback, the stalwart of endurance sports hydration. At 750ml, this isn't one for a short, sharp 5k attempt. However, if you enjoy an adventure and live an outdoor lifestyle, then this is a great water bottle for you.

Salomon Active Belt

Salomon really know their stuff, and they also offer a great running hydration vest as shown above. This running water bottle belt, is really a great addition to your gear that will keep you hydrated, without jumping around while you're out and about. For just £18, this belt comes with 600ml water lightweight water bottle and plenty of room for other sources of energy such as gels or snacks.

Hydration is just one crucial part of your running training. It's also essential that you eat well - check out our article on what's best to eat the night before a long run.

Editors Note: This article was first published on May 21 2019 and was updated on 14 April 2021 for comprehensiveness and accuracy.

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Train Like a Pro with GB Running World Champion, Josh Kerr

Who better to help with our event training prep than GB’s 1500m world champion, Josh Kerr? The Let’s Do This team caught up with him to chat about everything from his top tips, to ‘that’ gold medal-winning moment – plus, the science behind why he pees on a pen every morning. Want to know how to train like a pro? Join us to get race day ready with the champion himself.

Who better to help with our event training prep than GB’s 1500m world champion, Josh Kerr? The Let’s Do This team caught up with him to chat about everything from his top tips, to ‘that’ gold medal-winning moment – plus, the science behind why he pees on a pen every morning. Want to know how to train like a pro? Join us to get race day ready with the champion himself.

Josh Kerr on his gold medal-winning mindset

“If you trust that it’s going to be there, it’ll be there”, Josh Kerr wrote in his journal before the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. This was the memorable race that would see him scoop the gold medal. “That means that I trust that my legs are going to feel good. I trust that my mind’s going to be making the right decisions and I’m going to be sharp on the day”, Kerr explains. His positive mindset has clearly played a role in his route to running success.  

Josh’s competitive nature appears to be another winning factor. We were curious to know what went through his mind in that final 200 metres. “It was all about putting pressure on”, he says, “I needed to make sure that Ingebrigtsen felt my presence. He kept looking over at me every 100 to 200m or so in that last 600, so I was like ‘Okay, I know he’s definitely not having an easy time of it’. My goal was to make sure that he was feeling pressure on that top bend so he was as tired as possible on that home stretch. Clearly, it worked. What else can we learn from Kerr’s success? We asked Josh to share his top training tips.  

Josh Kerr’s top three training tips

1.   Don’t compare yourself. “I run probably 50 to 60 miles less than some people I’m racing against […] I look at some people’s sessions and think ‘I can’t do that’. I’m still a world champion, but I can’t do those sessions. So don’t worry about what you can’t do – worry about what you can do”.

2.   Embrace your nerves. “When you’re in an individual sport and you look left and right and everyone’s trying to beat you, it’s a very difficult sport. There’s a reason you’re nervous and it’s because you care, but if you care too much and you get too nervous, you’re not going to do well. Just take a deep breath and go out and do what you do every day”.

3.   Prioritise rest.  “When I was in college, I got invited to run in New York in the murals mile and I spent the whole day walking around because I’d never been there. I got to the event and I was absolutely knackered. Staying off your feet and priming your body the day before is smart”.

Kerr’s nutritional recipe for success

Of course, nutrition plays a key role in any athlete’s training plan. Kerr advises against calorie counting and focussing on nutrition, instead. “I haven’t missed a single training day through illness or injury for two years”, he says. “Just make sure your body’s getting what it needs. That’s why I feel I’m hitting the peak right now. Because I fuel myself with the right amount of veg, protein, carbs and fat so my body can hit the tarmac every day and feel fine”. So, what does a gold medallist’s meal plan look like? 

Josh gave us the lowdown on his nutritional routine. “Monday night, Thursday night and Saturday night before sessions, we hit carbs pretty hard. Then we lower them the days after a session. So for example, Tuesday morning we’ll work out and then it’ll be a protein day for the rest of the day – pretty low on carbs. That’s the way we work things”.

Getting to know the real Josh Kerr

Off the track, Josh has one daily ritual that we weren’t expecting. “Err, yeah I can talk about it”, he grins, before divulging: “Every morning, I pee on a pen”. There’s a handy reason for it. “It tells me my hydration status so I can change my water/ sodium intake before training”, he says. “It’s a reasonably disgusting device. You pee in a cup every morning and it doesn’t look great, but it helps in making sure that I’m hydrated enough in the sessions”.

Once that’s been taken care of, Josh enjoys journalling and morning runs, where his training is often underscored by hard electronic dance music. “Every single time I put them on, my headphones tell me to turn down the music”, he says. On rest days, his go-to ritual is to get up early and have an ice bath, before napping for the rest of the day”. Josh also looks forward to spending time with his loved ones. It’s clear from our chat that he’s very much a family man. When asked who his biggest fan is, Josh replied “My family and my Mrs. My family as a whole”.

That rounds-off our chat with Josh Kerr. We left feeling inspired and ready to take on our next challenge. Though, we might leave the pee pen ritual – for now.

Ask Us Anything

Think of us as your active-lifestyle agony aunt. From gear recommendations to running hacks, we’ll answer all your event-related questions. Our favourites will feature across our social pages and in these newsletters.

Think of us as your active-lifestyle agony aunt. From gear recommendations to running hacks, we’ll answer all your event-related questions. Our favourites will feature across our social pages and in these newsletters.

To get your questions answered, either DM us at @letsdothis_ or email in at askusanything@letsdothis.com.

The best ones we’ll share here on our blog, in our newsletters and across social media to help others in our community. 

To view the latest questions and answers from our community, click here.

A few things to bear in mind:

  • While we will endeavour to get back to as many questions as possible, we sadly can’t commit to answering every question submitted.
  • By submitting the question you give us permission to publish your question alongside your first name + city.. If you would prefer for us to anonymise your question please let us know.
  • As none of us are trained physios or medics, we can’t offer any advice relating to injury (preventing or rehab) and/or health
  • The responses and recommendations shared are on behalf of our team members who are passionate participants in the various sports we offer on the platform - they don’t necessarily reflect the views of Let’s Do This.
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  • Please limit your questions to only running / cycling / triathlon events, equipment or training- related questions. As much as we want to be there for you, we’re not qualified to answer questions beyond this scope

Community Spotlight - Edition #01

Shining a light on you – our incredible community members. We’re sharing your amazing stories, training tips, hacks and more. These inspire us all to keep showing up on the track, road, bike, or in the water.

Shining a light on you – our incredible community members. We’re sharing your amazing stories, training tips, hacks and more. These inspire us all to keep showing up on the track, road, bike, or in the water.

This month we're talking to Jennifer Chambers - a running enthusiast from Melbourne, now living in London. She discovered running when she moved to Europe and has used it as a way to discover more of the UK and Europe - and herself - ever since.

A bit about you:

What’s your story? How did you start running?

My background is swimming and rowing, and I used to do Pilates a lot when I lived in Melbourne. However, when I moved to London, I got into running as it was an accessible way to see the city (and far more affordable than Pilates!) so I've been running for about eight years now. I started out going to the free community events that Nike ran, and eventually started going to all their different events across Europe. It gave me the bug for using running as a vehicle to travel and see different parts of the world. I now always try to plan trips around the runs I do.

What’s your favourite thing about running?

Running is a great way to explore places and get to know the cities more, whether that's where you live or new places you visit – especially at different times of the day to everyone else. It's a great opportunity to find a moment of zen in a hectic city. For example, having Hampstead Heath to yourself at 6 a.m. on a Monday vs. going for a run with everyone at 9am on a Saturday.

A lot of running for me is really about learning about my personality and respecting my body. It helps with being less impatient and learning to have the quiet confidence to trust the process or the plan my coach made for me. It's okay to fail or have setbacks; you've just got to keep trying, pick yourself back up and take the next step. You don't have to be a perfectionist.

What’s your favourite running route? (We’re always looking for new recommendations!)

There's a great loop around the Serpentine from Covent Garden. It's about five miles: head down to Trafalgar Square and run down Pall Mall to Buckingham Palace, up through Green Park to Hyde Park corner and towards Serpentine and then loop back. Great to do in your lunch break or with your team.

Other favourite routes:
Camden to Hampstead Heath and back – that's about 10km.

From Camden, along the canal to Victoria Park is great.

What’s your best piece of advice for anyone starting out?

Listen to the your body, don't go too fast too quickly and never run through an injury!

Best running/cycling hack?

Buy a running belt! (I've broken 2 iPhones by putting them in my sports bra from sweat damage! True story!)

What’s in your running belt / backpack?

iPhone and keys. For longer runs I use a Camelbag backpack to carry water and snacks.

Any pre or post-training rituals?

Post-run foam rolling, if I'm being very good ;)

You and events:

What event(s) are you most looking forward to doing next?

I've just signed up for the TTP Cambridge Half Marathon - I've never been to Cambridge so I'm really excited to use this race as an excuse to see the city - I've heard great things!

If money and distance were no object, what event would you love to take part in?

In the UK, I would really love to do Race to the Stones - it's a 100km ultra marathon paved in English history from Roman river crossings to Bronze Age forts. It's 100km so something that I'd need to work up to...one day!

Further afield, I saw this documentary about a Belgian dentist called Karel Sabbe who did the Via Alpina. It's a 2,650km trail through the Alps from Muggia in Italy to Monaco, which looks amazing. I'd also like to do the GR20 in Corsica; it's 112 miles of hiking and/or running. I attempted it a few years ago but sadly got injured. I'd like another attempt at completing it.

Best event you’ve done?

I did Vitality London 10,000 when I'd just moved to London. It was a great way to see all the sites, with the route running right through the city centre.

I also loved the Madeira Sky Race (not-so-surprisingly, in Madeira). It was a real mental and physical battle, but the energy from my fellow race participants and at the fuel stations was so incredible, it helped motivate me to the finish line. It ended up being as much an out-of-body experience, as much as it was a physical one.

Quick-fire round:

Best running song?

I love some SoundCloud mixes, especially 'Decade Mix' by Flight Facilities. One song that I love right now would be 'I Want Your Soul' by Armand Van Helden. Also, my coach recommended 'Running Up That Hill' by Kate Bush (the Stranger Things remix, obvs).

Favourite pre or post-run snack?

I only run on coffee.

Morning or evening run?

Ideally, I chase the sunset runs; but usually, morning runs wake me up for work.

Trainer of choice?

I'm very brand loyal to Asics

Best running product or accessory?

Obvs the Ciele hat

Music, podcasts, or nothing at all?

Music for short runs and podcasts for the long ones. Podcasts-wise, I'm constantly lolling to The Imperfects, or getting confused by Huberman [Lab], or fawning over Rich Roll. I'm not quite at the 'nothing at all' stage of running yet.

Favourite supporting exercise for running?

The [boring] rehab exercises my physio gave me, side planks and death-by-glute exercises.

Favourite running app?

Strava. My average daily time on it is shockingly high.

Describe your ideal rest day in emojis… 3,2,1, go!

😴🏖️🏄🍷🥗

In one word, what motivates you?

Stats!

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