Brighton, UK – A shocking incident at today’s Brighton Half Marathon has raised serious health concerns after a resident spotted two teenage volunteers allegedly reusing discarded water cups meant for runners.
The teenagers, who were reportedly part of the marathon’s water station team, were seen retrieving used cups from a bin, taking them back to the water station and the team washing them briefly in a bucket, and refilling them with drinking water before handing them out to approaching runners. The resident, disturbed by the scene, captured video footage and shared it with Sussex News and ImJustBrighton, warning that this could pose a significant health risk.
“The cups were taken straight from the bin and appeared to be washed in cold water for just a matter of seconds before being refilled with fresh water,” the eyewitness stated. “This does not meet hygiene standards, especially at the side of the road during a large public event. It could pose a serious health risk to any runner who drank from them.”
In response, Sussex News reached out to the organisers of the Brighton Half Marathon for clarification. A spokesperson for the event issued the following statement:
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. To clarify, our cups are compostable and single-use only, and we do not condone any sharing or reusing of cups. We take this incredibly seriously and will be speaking to our teams post-race to investigate how we can strengthen our processes to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
The Brighton Half Marathon is one of the city’s most anticipated annual events, drawing thousands of runners and spectators. This incident has now sparked concern about hygiene practices at water stations and whether stronger oversight is needed to prevent such occurrences in future races.
Health and safety experts warn that reusing water cups, especially without proper sanitisation, can spread bacteria and viruses, posing risks such as gastrointestinal infections to runners.
As investigations continue, race participants and attendees are advised to remain cautious about their hydration sources and report any similar concerns to event officials immediately.
