10,000 runners enjoy pure tap

The Louisville Triple Crown of Running officially began in 1984 with the Rodes City Run 10K and Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon. A lot has changed since those early days of racing, including how runners get their water.

For many years, Louisville Water bottled its tap water for various events like the Triple Crown. All that changed in 2012, when the company began providing the drinking water in a more environmentally-friendly way.

We connected food-grade hoses to the supply line and provided biodegradable cups for each water stop — no more single-use plastic bottles piling up along the streets, making a mess and a trip hazard for runners.

Everyone had to learn a new way of filling, staging and serving water in a cup for races — and it worked! It’s one of the biggest collaborations in the city with Louisville Water, large-race organizers and countless volunteers working together to ensure every racer can get a drink of Louisville pure tap® on their way to the finish line.

This year, nearly 10,000 runners participated in the Anthem 5k Fitness Classic, Rodes City Run 10K and Papa John’s 10-Miler. Louisville Water was there to help provide drinking water for all of them!