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One of the biggest mistakes I see as a coach (and have probably even made myself in my early years of racing) is athletes not being adequately prepared for their hydration needs on race day. In most cases athletes make the mistake of preparing for the distance (ex: 5km) rather than the duration of an obstacle course race. On paper, a Spartan Sprint (5km/3.1 miles) seems quick enough, but when you factor in mountainous elevation and obstacles, we clearly see that it may take some athletes up to 2 hours to finish a mountain Sprint, even if it is "only 5km"! This is why we recommend athletes prepare their hydration and nutrition for duration rather than distance. Here are some average finish times for mountain obstacle course races: -5km/3.1 miles (ex: Spartan Sprint): can take up to 2 hours -10km/6.2 miles (ex: Spartan Super or OCRWC 15km): can take up to 3 hours on very mountainous courses -21km/13.1 miles (Ex: Spartan Beast): can take 4-7 hours (we have even seen athletes take up to 10 hours at course like Owl's Head, Quebec!) -50km/30 mile Ultra (ex: Spartan Ultra): this can take athletes anywhere from 8 hours to 14 hours. For optimal performance, it is recommended that athletes hydrate every 10-20 minutes depending on weather (hotter weather= drink more frequently, cooler weather= drink less frequently). Although there are water stations on course, how often an athlete has access to these will depend on their speed. Slower moving athletes may significantly exceed the 20 minute recommendation between water station, and therefore having some form of hydration on their person will be beneficial. Continue reading below to see our recommendations on what kind of gear you should bring based on your race duration and/or race type. *Full disclosure: Life Sports Gear is a personal sponsor whose products I use and believe in, so they will be used as a default for these example (although there are other brands with similar products). They have not paid me to write this blog, I have done so as I believe their products are a great fit for an OCR athlete.
Short Course (3-5km), or under 1 hour of racing
For a race of under 1 hour extra hydration/fuel is likely not needed in most cases, however, depending on weather (very hot/humid) it might be beneficial to have a small amount of water with you in order to drink every 10-20 minutes while also not having to stop and lose time at water stations. For a race of this length I would recommend a belt or pouch such as the Life Sports Gear Eclipse Eco belt which is large enough to allow you to add your own small flask of 250ml of fluid should you be inclined to do so:
Another option would be the Cloud Eco, which would also allow you to add your own small 250ml flask:
Although both of these are not hydration equipment, per se, with a bit of tweaking you can definitely carry some fluid in these spacious, yet lightweight products.
Mid Distance (10km/6.2 miles), 1-2 hours of racing
When racing for 1.5-2 hours hydration and fueling becomes increasingly important. Not only will athletes wants to have some water on them to drink ever 10-20 minutes, but they will definitely want to have some nutrition on them as well (even if this is only 1 or 2 gels). For a race of this duration I recommend something that allows you to carry both water and fuel while also keeping added weight to a minimum for these faster paced races. The Life Sports Gear Air Flow would be a great option:
This is a wrap around belt that can be worn under your shirt. It comes with a zippered pocket and one (1) 250ml soft flask. Athletes have the choice of having both the bottle and fuel (ex: gels) in the pocket, or they can put gels directly into the bottle with their fluid of choice in order to save space and time.
Long Distance (21km/13 miles to Ultra distance), 2.5+ hours
Things get tricky when athletes start to race beyond 2.5 hours as more fluid and nutrition is needed. This usually means carrying a heavy/thick hydration vest and/or bladder for the duration of the race. As someone who is always trying to minimize added weight, here are some options of lightweight vests that can be used in your upcoming OCR event. The Life Sports Gear Torrent is my vest of choice (and can be seen in the picture at the start of this blog). This lightweight vest weighs only 115 grams without bottles (compared to other similar vests which weigh 269 grams), and has a 2.5L storage capacity for fuel, gloves, etc. This vest comes with two (2) 450ml soft flasks that are worn up front (no issues on any obstacles with these...you won't notice them). The soft flasks are my "go-to" as they lose weight as you drink. A bonus of this vest: no movement or bouncing of the vest or bottles when running (especially important on downhills):
See the Torrent in action below during the recent New Jersey Beast (5th place Elite finish)
For those looking for a similar lightweight vest but with more fluid capacity, see the Typhoon below. This vest has a 5L storage capacity, comes with the same two (2) 450ml soft flasks, and also has a storage compartment for a hydration bladder (not included). This means for those racing the Spartan Ultra (10+ hours of racing) or other 100km-100 mile events, you can carry much more fluid and nutrition than with the Torrent:
If you are interested in trying any of these products (and supporting a local Canadian business), I invite you to click on any of these pictures to take you to their website, or to visit the link: https://www.lifesportsgear.com/ If you wish to save 20% off your order at their website, simply use code: "Outlaw20" at checkout:
Looking to take your training to the next level? Click the link below to check out our 1 on 1 personalized running and OCR training plans and let us help take you to the next level!
Have question about hydration packs for OCR and want our opinion? Send us an email: outlawocr@gmail.com.
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