First Marathon - What to wear in rain and cold!?

How long will you be out there? Will it be windy?

My first marathon was NYC in 2014. About 40 degrees, 20 mph with heavier gusts, wet conditions but not too much rain.

I wore a beanie instead of a cap because I was worried about the wind getting under what bill, but a cap is my normal preference. I wore a sleeveless Under Armour compression top under my singlet, arm warmers and cheap gloves. No pants, no jacket.

I tossed the arm warmers half way through. It was a pretty optimal set up, but I was moving st a pretty good pace and generate a fair amount of heat and didn't have any rain.

The slower you are, the more I would want to wear. The good news is hat you start in slightly warmer temps and that should allow you to get pretty well warmed up by the time the cooler temps hit.

I no longer run marathons, but here's my take.

Arm warmers can be worn with a t-shirt or under a long sleeve technical shirt. If you get too warm you can roll them down to just covering the wrist. I did this at Hood to Coast and it worked fine in 40-degree weather. Wear a pair of cheap cotton gloves that are baggy in fit. You can toss them if you get too hot. If you get cold or it starts raining, you can pull down the arm warmers to cover your hands.

If you don't have arm warmers, you can cut the foot off a pair of over the calf socks and wear them like arm warmers. They don't have to be $40 over the calf socks. Any long sock that's not cotton will do.

Wear an old hoodie and warm up pants to the starting line. Then, just throw them away before the start.

Rub in some Vaseline on your knees, hands, wrists, lower legs, forearms, and ears. It will provide a noticeable amount of warmth. You will not need a headband for your ears if you do this. I use Bag Balm instead of Vaseline because it's even warmer, but Vaseline will do.

If you take a windbreaker, get one that's light enough to tie the arms around your waist if you get too hot.

If you expect to be running the entire way, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Your body will be generating heat, and discomfort will be from exertion rather than from cold

You’re a first timer so higher odds you hit the wall and encounter stretches of walking in the back half. If so, it could get uncomfortable but not necessarily bone rattling unless it’s also windy

If it were me, I’d go with:
1. Beanie. Covering up your head preserves a lot of body heat
2. Arm warmers
3. Gloves

If you expect to have second half problems, add the compression top

No pants

Do not get cold at the start. Wait until 2 minutes before the start to toss the clothes. Getting cold before you start will mean that you'll be suing precious energy to stay warm.

I'll just impart what I learned from my 18 mile run last night. It was a medium/hard effort with portions at Marathon Pace.

It was mid 50's at the start and 41 at the end, with light rain the entire time and a 10mph wind from the side the entire time.

I wore a singlet and shorts. That's all I had with me to run in and I wasn't anticipating the weather change.

It was ideal at the beginning. Not too hot, not too cold.

Near the end, I was almost going into hypothermia. I was starting to lock up. Especially my arms. My arms hurt worse than my legs today.

I would say that your plan is about the best you can do. You'll probably be warm at the start until it cools off. Figure out how to jettison heat until it cools off.

Have warm/dry clothes at the ready when you finish. Get rid of any wet clothes ASAP.

Just remember that it's only a forecast from 24 hours out. Things can change, and I hope the forecast changes for the better for you.

Also, I don't know how long you will be stuck in a corral before the race, but rather than using a throwaway shirt, if it is going to be raining, I like to use a pair of Tyvek coveralls. You can get them from Home Depot for $10. Cheap, windproof, one piece, easy to take off, and gives you some water resistance if it is wet.

I would opt for arm warmers instead of l/s shirt in possible rain since they tend to keep you warmer and are easy to pull down or shed, if there is no rain and you start to overheat.

I've run in lightweight shells and they work for me in heavier rain or cold/windy days, but it's easy to overheat if there is no rain or wind. However, at least you can drop this as well, provided you don't pin your race # on it.

Definitely would not go with pants... wet pants vs. wet legs is about the same from a warmth perspective and wet legs is much less annoying.

Although, how long do you expect to be out there? If it'll be a long day or time/pace are not of concern, then you may want to opt for warmth and comfort instead.

Sounds like perfect weather to skin up. Singlet, shorts, gloves, and hat should be plenty. Light arm warmers and head band would be okay but not necessary. Be prepared to ditch them. Definitely don’t wear long pants or a windbreaker. You will burn up.

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Smoove wrote:

Also, I don't know how long you will be stuck in a corral before the race, but rather than using a throwaway shirt, if it is going to be raining, I like to use a pair of Tyvek coveralls. You can get them from Home Depot for $10. Cheap, windproof, one piece, easy to take off, and gives you some water resistance if it is wet.

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Depends how much rain and how cold?

There was a thread after the Boston Marathon that had a lot of good ideas on how to run in this type of weather.

My first comment is, what would you have worn if it was your scheduled long run in those conditions? Maybe you should wear the same thing. If you skipped your long run in that type of weather or worse, that should be a lesson learned for next time.
Don't skip workouts because of weather. Instead, learn what works best in various conditions.

Second. No pants.

I would probably go with two short sleeve tech shirts and arm warmers plus cheap gloves. Maybe the shirt next to your skin should be a compression. (Actually I would wear a Zyflex long sleeve shirt but you can't find them anymore. Fortunately I have 4 for use in the winter). Go with a baseball type hat. If you have course support, have them bring you a change of gloves, shirt and hat. The change will be worth the 15 to 30 seconds you lose.y

Wear throw away clothes the the start to stay warm before the gun goes off. If you have a mylar blanket that will also be good pre-race.

I have nothing to add but I do want to make three comments:

1. Impressed that we Letsrun folks can be civil and helpful.

2. Wish the OP a safe and successful first marathon. 👍🏻

3. I’m sick of Jamin and his stupid threads about what a loser he is.

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Nothing to add of substance wrote:

I have nothing to add but I do want to make three comments:

1. Impressed that we Letsrun folks can be civil and helpful.

2. Wish the OP a safe and successful first marathon. 👍🏻

3. I’m sick of Jamin and his stupid threads about what a loser he is.

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- No pants, just shorts. Can be combined with compression socks if you’re used to them.
- Jacket like Gore windstopper zip-off jacket (either starting without sleeves or removing them after a few miles).
- a cap is essential.
- gloves.
- throw-away pullover/old jacket to keep you warm before the start.

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stevenm621844 wrote:

I also plan on purchasing a lightweight windbreaker, although I really wish I didnt need that because I feel like that is really going to drag in the wind.

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a lot of good suggestions, and a couple of refinements that i've found useful.
Whatever you wear, poking a few holes in a large garbage bag for your head and arms and pulling it on for the pre-race is a good strategy. You can even leave it on for the first few miles.
Similarly, a pair of cheap extra-large latex gloves over your other gloves keeps them dry. Or you can just wear waterproof garden gloves - the pliable stretchy kind.
Use extra chafe cream as wet fabric against skin can be very abrasive over time.
Windbreaker quality makes a big difference and jackets like Brooks LSD jacket are expensive but work really well in the wind and rain in that they are very lightweight.
Wear running shoes that will drain well and wear running clothes that tend to be tight fitting. Loose clothes will become like a big sponge.
Good luck and let us know how it went, please.

Like many have already said.

Be warm at the start with throw away cloths.
latex gloves as an under layer - mostly for before the race.
Regular running gloves, but ones you are ok dropping.
Arm warmers - but be careful, some can get soggy.
If you are running at 3:30 or slower a compression layer under your shirt.
No jacket
Glide way more than usual. I will also put Glide on my toes. The only time I ever get blisters is if my feet are wet.
Calf sleeves can be good but it depends on the material.

Have a fantastic race!

Honestly just skip it and pick another marathon.

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Charlesvdw wrote:

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stevenm621844 wrote:

I also plan on purchasing a lightweight windbreaker, although I really wish I didnt need that because I feel like that is really going to drag in the wind.

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With the wind and rain you will need the jacket.

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