Furthering the organization’s sustainability initiatives
Oakland, CA (February 16, 2022) – HydraPak and the Big Sur Marathon Foundation (BSMF) are excited to announce their partnership for the 35th Annual Big Sur International Marathon this April, further aligning with their sustainability initiatives. Recently becoming Climate Neutral Certified, HydraPak is the official reusable hydration gear partner, complementing BSMF’s status as a zero-waste event organization for over a decade.
HydraPak will bring its premium reusable hydration product line and sustainability mission. The northern California-based company designs and produces flexible performance hydration systems aimed at reducing single-use waste and supporting athletes and adventure-seekers in the pursuit of personal goals.
BSMF is always looking for ways to maintain and improve their environmentally-sustainable practices and the budding partnership with HydraPak is the first step in the organization’s quest to eliminate all single-use cups on course at BSMF events.
Participants in the 2022 Big Sur Marathon and related race weekend events will be invited to opt-in to a cupless experience during their race. BSMF and HydraPak are aiming for a 33% opt-in rate for participants across all race weekend events, eliminating tens of thousands of single-use cups on course.
The first 4,000 participants to take the cupless pledge will receive a complimentary Big Sur Marathon branded SpeedCup™, courtesy of HydraPak. It is hoped these participants will use this cup during their race, after crossing the finish line in the recovery zone and finish village, and beyond. With 11 aid stations on course, each marathon participant who takes the cupless pledge will potentially reduce their individual disposable footprint by 22-33 cups.
The Big Sur 12K is the only distance to run through the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve and starting this year it will be a cupless race. All participants will receive a HydraPak SpeedCup™ to use at the only refill fluid station inside the park, saving over 1,500 disposable cups from being distributed on course and avoiding any cup waste in the sensitive area.
“Finding ways to reduce our footprint is always top of mind,” said Doug Thurston, race director and executive director of the Big Sur Marathon Foundation. “We’ve made several important shifts to more sustainable practices and the decision to bring HydraPak on board to help us reduce single-use cups on course is a natural progression. We are very pleased to partner with HydraPak on this program.”
HydraPak’s collapsible and reusable SpeedCup was designed specifically for runners, and offers an alternative to single-use cups at race events. Made of ultra-light TPU, a 100% BPA and PVC-free material, the SpeedCup’s flexible design allows runners to collapse the cup and stuff it in their pocket or use the integrated finger loop, making for easy transport from start to finish.
“We are pleased to support BSMF’s sustainability efforts and adoption of reusable hydration solutions with their world class road race events,” said Jennifer Krupey, Director of Marketing at HydraPak. “Our hope is to not only reduce race day waste with our reusable SpeedCup but to educate runners and other event hosts about different environmental impacts and empower them to make changes.”
The Big Sur International Marathon will celebrate its 35th presentation on April 24th, 2022, with 10,000 total entrants expected in seven different races. Learn more and register at www.bigsurmarathon.org.
For more information, go to HydraPak.com.
About HydraPak
Over the past two decades, HydraPak® has become the number one original equipment manufacturer of reservoirs and soft flasks in the world. The company was founded in Northern California with a mission to create flexible and durable hydration products for recreational, athletic and military use. It’s owned brands, Polar Bottle® bicycle squeeze water bottles and Bottle Bright® all-natural cleaning tablets, are leaders in their categories. By offering a better way to hydrate, HydraPak has pioneered new product categories and become a trusted partner for hundreds of renowned global brand partners.
About the Big Sur Marathon Foundation
The Big Sur Marathon Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create beautiful running events that promote health and benefit the community. Each year, the organization disperses more than $350,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations affecting positive change in the Monterey County community. Under the brand are two individual race weekends: the Big Sur International Marathon in April and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon in November. www.bsim.org
