Top Up with Tap Water - Working towards a plastic free Bath Half

The Bath Half Marathon and Wessex Water have joined forces to help banish plastic bottles from the famous race.

In a landmark new partnership called Refill Not Landfill, Wessex Water will supply fresh tap water to runners all the way around the course – part of a mission to make the Bath Half totally free of single-use plastics by 2021.

Runners will be able to fill up their reusable bottles at Wessex Water’s HydroZones, with tap water stations also available to supply water in compostable cups during the race.

Andrew Taylor, Race Director of the Bath Half, said: “We’ve always been conscious of our environmental footprint, and last year we announced we were embarking on a new challenge to eliminate single-use plastics from the race by 2021.

“That’s why this partnership with Wessex Water makes perfect sense, and we’re excited to launch the Refill Not Landfill partnership with them.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for runners on the day, with HydroZone refill points at various locations along the race route and biodegradable cups for those who prefer not to run with a bottle.”

Kirsty Scarlett, Wessex Water’s Head of Community Engagement, said: “We’re on a mission to reduce single-use plastics, installing water refill points across our region to encourage people to drink more tap water and avoid plastic bottles.

“So we’re proud to be keeping runners hydrated at this year’s Bath Half, becoming the first UK water company to partner with a road race of this scale.”

Based in Bath, Wessex Water provides water and sewerage services to 2.8 million customers and supports a variety of local events.

The company is always well represented in the Bath Half, and among their runners this year is Zsofia Rafael from the engineering team. Training for her first half marathon, she will be documenting her preparations and even trying out sustainable running gear in a weekly vlog.