Chicago marathon: How to navigate water stops

For starters, think of each runner as a car on a highway. You wouldn't swerve suddenly from the far left lane to a right exit in your car, and it's the same on foot. There will be a lot of people around you, you've got to be aware of them.

As you spot the water station, gradually pull alongside the tables and slow down as you enter the station area. You're going to be running on wet ground, and everyone around you will be trying to do the same, so slow it down and fall in.

There are usually several tables, with several volunteers in front of each shouting "water" and "Gatorade". You want to aim for an "early middle" table, so you don't have to stop or backtrack should you miss the handoff or spill your cup. The first table is usually jammed with people, so aim for the second.

When you pick your table and are getting close, extend your hand and make eye contact with one volunteer as you get closer. Some runners say loudly and clearly "water" or the name of the sports drink if each station offers both. Then, also loudly and clearly, say thank you when you have the cup in your hand. This lets the volunteer know you have it securely, and.. well, these folks are volunteers and probably got up and out the door before you did, so treat them well.

Now, there is an art to this next part:

Pinch the cup to prevent it from spilling and hold it for a few strides. Tilt your head and pour the drink into one side of your mouth. If you drink it straight, your nose and shirt will get the bulk of it. It's simple enough when you get the hang of it, but it feels clunky the first couple of times you try it, so it's worth trying at home tonight with your paper cup and mouthwash.

If you feel like you need to slow down to a walk in order to take a drink, tuck in behind someone else who is walking, don't be a jag and suddenly stop running and risk a bunch of people crashing into you. Also, if you feel you'd rather stop completely and take a minute to have a drink, pull over away from runners and walkers to keep the traffic flowing. Again, think of the bird's eye view and think of every runner as a car on a highway. You wouldn't just stop suddenly, you'd pull to the shoulder first. Same deal here.

Similarly, don't pull over gradually then leap back into the race in someone else's path. Ease back out gradually, and work your way out to the center flow of traffic again.

After you drink, despite the fact that you'll probably see many crushed cups underfoot, don't just drop the thing straight down, and don't pitch the empty cup into the barrels lined up at the stations unless they're clearly marked as trash cans, because many of these large drum cans actually have water in them on race day to fill all of those cups fast. Instead ball it up and pitch it out of the way far to the side (if there are no trash cans ahead). But, get it to the side of the road so nobody slips on it.

My final suggestion is to make a point, at least once in your runnerly life, to volunteer at a water station. You'll never look at them the same way again.