Water and loos are essential elements for any half marathon. However, for participants at a recent half marathon in Belfast, there was not the necessary water and loos for the number of runners racing, causing many to lose out on some of the enjoyment of the event. When organising a half marathon, or any type of race, you must ensure you have plenty of water and toilets for participants; otherwise, you may just end up with problems on your hands. The Case of Belfast The inaugural Belfast Half Marathon did not go off without a hitch. Although many participants fully enjoyed their run, there were several complaints. Many of the complaints from the over 4,000 participants were due to a lack of water, bathrooms and medals. There were only three water stations throughout the entire 13.1-mile course. At each of the stations, runners experienced lines and a wait time instead of a seamless water station. Additionally, there was a lack of toilets, especially at the beginning of the race. There were only six toilets for 4,000 participants at the start, leading to long queues that forced many to begin the race without being able to relieve themselves. The Importance of Water When you run, you sweat and lose water. You have to be able to rehydrate, especially when it is warm or humid or you run long distances. Sweat cools you down when you get hot, but you have to be able to replenish the water or else you become dehydrated. When you are dehydrated, you lose performance ability. A study published in the Journal of Athletic Training showed that athletes who started running while dehydrated finished a full two and a half minutes slower than when hydrated. When you are dehydrated, your blood volume drops, causing your heart to beat faster and making it more difficult to handle aerobic exercise. What Race Organisers can Learn The race organisers for the Belfast Half Marathon have taken the criticism well, and plan to avoid similar mistakes in the future. Other race organisers can also learn from the mistakes of Belfast to ensure that they have more than enough toilets and water. There are numerous water benefits when running endurance races, so organisers should have more water stops than necessary and man them well. Additionally, running can make you need to use the restroom, as can the nervousness of a race, making it essential to have enough loos. Water benefits runners, especially since about a one percent loss of weight due to fluid loss can cause a two percent decline in running performance. Throw in an inability to use the bathroom, and your performance will really suffer. Additionally, dehydration can lead to headaches, nausea, and heat stroke, all which can become health problems. It is essential for races, especially endurance events like half marathons, to have sufficient water stops and loos.