Runners choosing water for fluid
Plain bottled water is an option for routine training and for drinking alongside a separately planned source of carbohydrate on longer sessions.
Who is this choice for?
Runners who prefer flavoured water
If flavour helps you drink regularly, compare the exact variants: a sugar-free drink and a low-sugar drink are not necessarily the same choice. Check the ingredients if you want to avoid sweeteners.
Runners organising water for training days
Multipacks can be useful at home or for travel. A bottle to carry on a route calls for a different size and format from water kept at home.
What should you check?
Decide whether the drink is for fluid or for carbohydrate intake, then check its exact label and whether the bottle format fits your training plans.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Water without added sugar | For plain water, check the product identity and ingredients. For flavoured water, read the exact variant’s ingredients and sugars declaration per 100 ml; do not treat “low sugar” as “no added sugar”. | I want water for everyday drinking without choosing a sweetened flavour by mistake. |
| Carbohydrate for longer runs | Plan carbohydrate separately from sugar-free water when the session calls for it. World Athletics lists 30–60 g per hour for endurance events of 1–2.5 hours and up to 90 g per hour beyond 2.5 hours. | For a long session, I need to think about fuel as well as what I will drink. |
| Drinking plan | Consider session duration, conditions and access to water; practise the plan in training. A 2019 World Athletics-hosted review of prolonged running describes risks from both too little and too much fluid. | I want a plan that fits my route and conditions, not an instruction to drink as much as possible. |
| Flavour and ingredients | Check the ingredients of the exact flavoured bottle for sweeteners. Volvic UK lists acesulfame K and sucralose in its Peach & Raspberry Sugar Free variant, which declares 0 g sugars per 100 ml. | A flavoured drink appeals to me, but I want to know what gives it its taste and try it during training first. |
| Bottle format | Check the volume of each bottle, the number in a pack and whether you will carry it or keep it at home. Highland Spring lists plain spring-water bottles from 330 ml to 2 L. | A smaller bottle may fit my route, while a larger bottle or pack is for water I keep at home. |
Common buying mistakes
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Treating sugar-free water as running fuel
Water provides fluid, not the carbohydrate amounts in World Athletics’ guidance for longer endurance events.
Use water for drinking and practise a separate carbohydrate plan when your session duration calls for one.
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Reading “low sugar” as “no added sugar”
Volvic UK describes Touch of Fruit Strawberry as low in sugar and says it is sweetened with sugar and stevia leaf extract. Its Sugar Free range is a separate line.
Read the sugars declaration and ingredients on the exact flavour and pack you intend to buy.
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Assuming zero sugars means no sweeteners
Volvic UK’s Peach & Raspberry Sugar Free variant declares 0 g sugars per 100 ml and lists acesulfame K and sucralose.
If you choose flavoured water for a run, check its ingredients and try it during training before relying on it for an event.
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Choosing a pack without considering the route
A bottle kept at home and one carried during a run serve different purposes. Highland Spring lists plain-water bottles ranging from 330 ml to 2 L.
Check water stops and what you can carry before choosing an individual bottle size or a larger home pack.
Relevant brand references
These brand ranges illustrate the label and format differences to check; a brand’s mineral figures alone do not make its water marathon fuel.
Highland Spring
Offers plain spring water in several bottle sizes, as well as flavoured still water.
- Highland Spring lists plain-water bottles in 330 ml, 500 ml, 750 ml, 1.5 L and 2 L sizes; its flavoured still range lists 0 g sugars per 100 ml.
- Check the ingredients of the exact flavour if avoiding added sugar or sweeteners. Zero-sugar water is not a carbohydrate source for a long run.
Buxton
Offers plain still natural mineral water in individual bottles and larger formats.
- Buxton lists 24 mg sodium, 55 mg calcium and 19 mg magnesium per litre for its still water.
- Those mineral figures do not show that the water meets a runner’s carbohydrate or individual drinking needs.
Volvic
Has plain natural mineral water and distinct sugar-free and low-sugar flavoured-water lines.
- Volvic UK lists 0 g sugars per 100 ml for Peach & Raspberry Sugar Free and names acesulfame K and sucralose among its ingredients.
- Volvic describes Touch of Fruit Strawberry as low in sugar and sweetened with sugar and stevia leaf extract. Check the precise variant rather than relying on the brand name.
evian
Offers plain natural mineral water for shoppers comparing bottle formats and stated mineral composition.
- For its 1 L natural mineral water, evian lists 80 mg calcium, 26 mg magnesium and 6.5 mg sodium per litre.
- The mineral composition does not establish that the water supplies marathon carbohydrate fuel.
Tesco
Its bottled-water range includes own-label water and listings for several named water brands.
- Tesco Groceries lists own-label still mineral water alongside products from Highland Spring, Buxton and Volvic.
- Read the label of the product you choose, particularly when comparing plain, sugar-free flavoured and low-sugar flavoured water.
Joybuy water options
These Joybuy options cover flavoured sugar-free water and plain bottled water in packs suited to carrying, travel or keeping at home. Choose the format for where you will drink it, and plan carbohydrate separately for longer runs when needed.
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Highland Spring Sugar Free Strawberry Still Water, 6 × 1.25 L
A flavoured-water multipack for keeping at home rather than carbohydrate fuel for a long run.
The product information lists 0 g sugars and 0 g carbohydrate per 100 ml. It also lists sucralose and sulphites; check the exact pack label if those ingredients matter to you.
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Volvic Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free Water, 6 × 500 ml
Six smaller flavoured-water bottles offer a format to consider for taking out, but this is not carbohydrate fuel.
The product nutrition information lists 0 g sugars and 0 g carbohydrate per 100 ml. Check the exact bottle’s ingredient list before buying if particular sweeteners matter to you.
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Highland Spring Still Water, 6 × 1.5 L
A plain-water multipack for keeping at home and arranging drinks around training.
The product information identifies natural spring water as its ingredient. Use a separate carbohydrate source when a longer session calls for fuel.
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Highland Spring Still Water, 10 L box
The tap-dispensing box is a home-water format, not a bottle to carry during a run.
The product information identifies natural spring water. Check that the pack you select is the 10 L version, as the description also refers to a 5 L format.
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evian Mineral Water, 6 × 500 ml
Six 500 ml bottles offer a smaller format for carrying or travel; water is not a substitute for carbohydrate fuel on longer sessions.
If an exact no-added-sugar declaration matters to your choice, check the ingredients and nutrition label on this pack before buying.
Questions about water and training
Does no-added-sugar bottled water fuel a long training run?
No: choose it for fluid, not carbohydrate. World Athletics lists 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour for endurance events lasting 1–2.5 hours and up to 90 g per hour beyond 2.5 hours. Plan and practise a separate carbohydrate source when those durations apply.
Is sugar-free flavoured water the same as plain water?
No. A flavoured drink can declare 0 g sugars and still contain other ingredients: Volvic UK lists acesulfame K and sucralose in Peach & Raspberry Sugar Free. Choose plain water if you prefer to avoid flavourings and sweeteners, or check and try the exact flavoured variant during training.
Should I rely on water alone for a long run?
Water alone does not supply the carbohydrate in World Athletics’ guidance for longer endurance events. Your drinking plan also needs to fit the duration and conditions: a 2019 World Athletics-hosted review of prolonged running discusses risks from both too little and too much fluid. Practise your fluid and carbohydrate approach during training.
How should I store bottled water once it is open?
Follow the instructions on your exact bottle. For one Tesco-listed Highland Spring 500 ml product, Tesco says to keep it chilled after opening and use it within 7 days; that instruction should not be assumed to cover other packs or flavoured waters.
Do mineral differences make a bottled water marathon fuel?
No. Buxton and evian publish different mineral compositions for their waters, but those figures do not supply the carbohydrate in World Athletics’ endurance guidance. Compare water for the format and ingredients you want, and plan fuel separately when the session requires it.