Marathon Weekend 2025

[marty3d]

One question I do have - here in winter I have winter/ snow running shoes - I will NOT be running in those in Florida and my long distance running shoes are all light mesh. Definitely not a recipe for keeping feet warm during the 2+ hour wait pre-race. Any suggestions short of bringing my winter runners (which I honestly am not sure I could run a full marathon in - and certainly not 4 days in a row of races).

 

[Naomeri]

SAFD: I don’t have much advice for staying warm during the waiting. But I’m not personally worried at all about staying warm during the running, because some of my best running performances have been in feels-like temps in the teens (F) or lower.

 

[PrincessV]

One question I do have - here in winter I have winter/ snow running shoes - I will NOT be running in those in Florida and my long distance running shoes are all light mesh. Definitely not a recipe for keeping feet warm during the 2+ hour wait pre-race. Any suggestions short of bringing my winter runners (which I honestly am not sure I could run a full marathon in - and certainly not 4 days in a row of races).

Toe warmers! I know it seems like a huge PITA to take them off, but I’ve done it multiple times - both before starting and well into a race - and it really wasn’t difficult or time-consuming to take off a shoe, pull off the toe warmer, and put the shoe back on. Practice it at home first, but it’s totally worth losing a minute to have warm toes, IMO.

 

[Naomeri]

Has anyone else started having race nightmares yet?

Last night, I dreamed that it was the day I was coming home, and I was panicking because I hadn’t had time to pick up my race shirts or bibs yet, but had somehow already run the races? Also, I was somehow racing at DL instead of WDW

 

[PrincessV]

SAFD addendum: just wanted to add that there have been times when rD ran out of Mylar blankets at the finish. (One time, it turned out they didn’t exactly run out, but had misplaced boxes and boxes of them, so they weren’t at the finish.) Never count on them being there to use for your next race if you’re doing multiple days.

 

[lookingforsunshine]

The cold I can handle—I was a figure skater growing up— but I am really really worried about wind. Wind is my least favorite weather for running. I would order my preference as: cold, rain, too hot, windy

SAFD: I think it’s worth saying that staying warm in the corrals is important not only for comfort but to save energy as shivering can expend a lot of it. I always bring hot hands and Mylar blankets. Gloves. A headband that covers my ears. Sometimes throwaway sweatpants (I used those during the MW half in 2015).

Another thing to remember is that it can be harder to remember to hydrate when you are cold. Make sure you are still taking in water & electrolytes, still eating, etc.

 

[matt and beth]

SAFD: pretending we aren’t having this discussion

 

[The Expert]

SAFD: I am one of the weirdos who LOVES the cold. I wouldn't say it's comfortable once it gets down into the 20s, but I can handle it far better than anything above 80. I am hoping for 30s/40s at the start, little to no wind and no rain.

Advice? As others have said, layers. Focus on staying warm in the corral and before you're moving on the course. Mylar is great to put underneath you if you're sitting on the ground. I always keep the mylar handed out at the previous race and use it the next morning. It can fold up pretty small and tuck into a pocket (just keep it away from your tracking chip on the bib, but as someone mentioned there will be PLENTY of reminders about that).

Once I'm moving, my ears and hands tend to stay cold so I'll keep a headband or beanie and some gloves to take on and off as needed. And I'll second the advice to hydrate. So easy to forget that in the cold.

Living in cold climates, I have plenty of gear to bring with me, though I am grabbing a Smartwool gaiter at REI tomorrow as all mine are built for warmer temps.

 

[pluto377]

SAFD- get a fleece hat! They do wonders for keeping whole body warm. I’m not worried about cold as I have plenty of running gear for that but I think I may invest in some blankets or bathrobes for the wait. I much prefer running in cold so even though it’s no picnic before starting I’ll take it!

Finished my last long run today-12 miles. Saw two other rundisney folks out there too which was cool. Glad to take it a little bit easier for the next 10 days!

 

[Baloo in MI]

SAFD:
Please don’t throw any snowballs at me, but I for one am excited about the colder weather and hoping it holds. Honestly, the colder the better. I am much more sensitive to heat than cold. My roughest marathon weekends have all been the hotter ones. Pretty much anything I could think to say has already been shared. But I will double down on the advice to hydrate in the cold even though it may feel unnecessary and to bring items that you can leave at gear check to get warm after the race. Lastly don’t forget that no matter how cold it gets before and during the race that afterwards there will be a wonderful hot shower or bath!

 

[Jackie Skellington]

Jumping in on this conversation…No way! I’m from San Jose California!! Definitely worried about the 2 am wake up for the Marathon!

Wow hiya neighbor! Yes that super early wake up for Sundays full is going to be interesting...When are you flying out?

 

[smileyanna]

SAFD - I much prefer cold weather to hot, so long as: (1) my flight to MCO is not threatened by snow and (2) the race proceeds!!

As mentioned many times, layers are great at trapping heat when you need it and releasing heat once you’ve warmed up. We are all different, but I’m always amazed by how much body heat I produce once I start running. Here’s Galloway’s clothes recommendations for different temps (these are pretty close to what I do):

https://www.jeffgalloway.com/learn/clothing/

And as mentioned, go big with pre race and post race warmth. Often, your body will have a broader ability to adjust to all sorts of adversity during the race (whether because your body is under stress already or you just don’t have a choice) but the before and after can be tougher to handle.

 

[Herding_Cats]

SAFD:
Please don’t throw any snowballs at me, but I for one am excited about the colder weather and hoping it holds. Honestly, the colder the better.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

SAFD: A lot of my training the last few months has been in upper 20s to upper 40’s, so I feel pretty prepared with my clothing/gear. I’m less into throwaway things as I’d prefer to trust my gear and my experience with it, unfortunately it probably means packing a ton more than I’d like just to be prepared. Mylar and hand warmers for the waiting around.

Curses to this whole topic! I’m with you @matt and beth!

 

[catsrgr8]

Wow hiya neighbor! Yes that super early wake up for Sundays full is going to be interesting...When are you flying out?

We fly out of SFO Thursday Jan 9! I’m “just” running the marathon and traveling with my husband and 8 yo daughter. We’ll be staying for a few days after the race as well!

 

[runwithperseverence7]

SAFD: I’ve never done a RD event before and I’ve only done one cold race, so I don’t have much to share for staying warm during the race or in the corrals. The only thing I can share is something I do every time I go out in the cold to run. I put Vaseline/aquahor on my nose, lips, cheeks and chin to keep the cold from making my face cold.

 

[GollyGadget]

SAFD: I’ve never done a RD event before and I’ve only done one cold race, so I don’t have much to share for staying warm during the race or in the corrals. The only thing I can share is something I do every time I go out in the cold to run. I put Vaseline/aquahor on my nose, lips, cheeks and chin to keep the cold from making my face cold.

This reminded me that Ed Eyestone covered his team in olive oil before xc champs to help keep them warm. They won the meet, so I guess it's worth a try .

 

[Naomeri]

SAFD: I’ve never done a RD event before and I’ve only done one cold race, so I don’t have much to share for staying warm during the race or in the corrals. The only thing I can share is something I do every time I go out in the cold to run. I put Vaseline/aquahor on my nose, lips, cheeks and chin to keep the cold from making my face cold.

Body glide also works for this, but considering some of the places we all use body glide, I would suggest having a "Face" stick and a "NOT Face" stick and clearly labeling them

 

[camaker]

Body glide also works for this, but considering some of the places we all use body glide, I would suggest having a "Face" stick and a "NOT Face" stick and clearly labeling them

Definitely a good idea. I have two sticks of Body Glide. One is labeled "For General Use". The other is labeled "NOT For General Use". Don't want to mix them up, for sure...

 

[kleph]

i know everyone is concerned about the cold but as any LOTR nerd can tell you, Jan 12 is the day the fellowship are forced to turn back from the pass over caradhras due to a blizzard. the upshot? no matter how cold it is, you won't be chased by wolves to the gates of moria on monday.