What is the worst running weather, in your opinion?

Freezing rain transitioning to snow with strong winds and dropping temperatures is the worst running weather.

Winter when road surfaces are already cold enough so that falling rain freezes and becomes dangerous slick black ice. Dropping temps result in the rain transitioning to new accumulating snow that makes that hides the ice. Temps dropping fast enough so that you are underdressed unless you carried extra clothes on the run. Wind makes it all worse soaking you and your clothing with cold rain and then pushing the cold to penetrate all layers.

You can't run faster to increase heat output to warm up because you will slip and fall on the hidden ice.

You can mostly adjust to all other weather conditions by either wearing more clothes or slowing down in the case of heat.

The worst weather is a cold wind blowing, with a hard rain and around 35F.

Heat and high humidity.

Anywhere in the South in July and August. So draining.

You can dress against cold and wet, but there's nothing you can do about heat and humidity.

100 degrees with 75 dew point and blazing sun.

First off f your wind and those gusts with rain

No, we can f the snow. I'd take 50C and no wind over the effing snow/Antarctic conditions. Yes, really.

I agree with “get it faster” rain when it is close to but not below freezing. I live in Chicago and snow and colder temperatures are not as bad as grey skies, steady rain, near freezing temps

The head anything 90+ and humid. You can only take off so much, when it's cold and raining you can put on or take off layers and you ALWAYS heat up as you run.

The heat will take you down much faster than any cold weather.

Now, as far as walking out the door? It is very hard to start in the cold, but it's harder to finish in the heat.

heat not head.. my god...

YersiniaPestis wrote:

Now, as far as walking out the door? It is very hard to start in the cold, but it's harder to finish in the heat.

This quote sums it up very well. Another Southerner here. I hate walking out the door in the wet cold, but the heat and humidity impact my running to much higher degree.

I have lived in cold climates, and if I am dressed right, I can pound through a cold, wet, and windy long run once I get started. It sucks, but I tend to find a groove.

When it is 98 and humid as can be, it is hard to get in much more than an hour before my body just shuts down. It wasn't as bad when I was younger, but I am in my 40s now and it just kills me. I ma fine for 30-45 minutes, but then hit a wall. This is even when I am fit and totally capable of running longer.

20+ mph wind, 38 degrees Fahrenheit with rain.

A cold rain is worse than freezing cold, because the water soaks into you, if it's absolutely freezing at least you can put more clothes on. This is coming from someone in Minnesota where I'll run in sub 0 weather at some point every year

Also in Florida , and I also ran the Boston Marathon in 2018. While that was cold, I could just run faster to stay warm! That day stands as my marathon PR just because I wanted to get to my warm and dry clothes! Haha! Even in such conditions, it's possible to add layers and regulate your temperature.

As for bad running weather, I have to state high humidity. In FL in June through October, it's not uncommon for dew points to approach 80 degrees even overnight with the accompanying heat index in the 90s in the overnight hours. There's just no relief aside from when it rains or taking the run to the treadmill in the air conditioning. The issue with training through the summer is replenishing your electrolytes and fluids in such conditions. It's a constant battle. Having access to ice to carry, cold water to occasionally dump on your head, and cold sports drink do help.

As a result, in Florida, road racing is a winter sport.

Definitely not a fan of rainy/windy cold days or very hot and humid days for that matter, but nothing is worse than icy paths with a few feet of snow on the sides...literally nowhere to run. ill gladly fire up the treadmill on those days.

I think the worst thing is when the weather is like now. The weather in my city is terrible. It rains all day. Outside the window is damp and unpleasant. It's only 4 degrees C warm there. I decided to stay home for work today because I had no desire to go outside. And the saddest thing is that such weather should last at least a week. And I have already planned a trip to nature for the weekend. Now I'm worried that I'll spend my weekend under a blanket. In any case, I hope for the best.

I don't always run, but when I do:

1. It must be between 48 and 57 degrees Fahrenheit

2. It has to mostly cloud to overcast

3. Wind has to be less than 7mph

4. Humidity has to be less than 50%

5. Course/Route must be all downhill

6. All water given to me must be given with 3 ice cubes in it

7. All water must be in a chemical free paper cup or water bottle

get it faster wrote:

Pouring rain and 33 degrees. Can't imagine it gets much worse than that. Although I haven't lived in places where it gets below 20 much. I can handle heat and humidity just fine.

This. Even worse if you add wind.

Icy conditions are the worst

other than that: rain, sun, or snow we go

For just a training run/ workout, anything colder than 40 with rain and high winds. However, I would prefer that racing compared to a 85 degree + humid day. I kind of love hot humid summer trainings runs as they kind of take me back to high school and college summer training days and a nice cold beer on the deck after really hits the spot.

gastly wrote:

Heat and high humidity.

Anywhere in the South in July and August. So draining.

You can dress against cold and wet, but there's nothing you can do about heat and humidity.

You're right, but I disagree with you. I'm much more cautious when running in high heat/humidity. I'm far more likely to skip a run when its too oppressive.

With cold/wind/rain, I am about as thick-headed as you can get. My motto is, if its warm enough to rain, its warm enough to run.

Cold rain gets my vote.