Marathon Weekend 2025

- And one for my son (who would be mortified if he knew I was asking here) - he is expecting to be in Corral A, and is looking to PR with a sub-1:20 time - is crowding early in the race an issue with the A crowd, such that he should be very early to try to be at the front of the corral?

I’ve run in corral A for the half distance probably 15+ times, usually in the mid-to-back of the first wave. I was chatting with the winner of W&D this year, who ran it in 1:16 under swampy conditions. He had an elite bib, which I’ve seen RD allow the elite runners to wait outside the corral and toe the line right before the gun goes off. Other times people will push to the front, which hasn’t been too much of an issue in my experience. We all stake out where we want to start, and the course opens up pretty quickly. The only people I usually see camp out at the front of A are people like Michael Gabriel and the influencers who want to be on camera
 

Hey W&D runners....can you tell me if those string bracelets with the rundisney beads/charms were selling out on the first day of the expo? These are something that I think SIL might want, and I'm trying to figure out if I should plan on grabbing any for her on Wednesday.

Pic for reference:

View attachment 925128
Yes, but they put them back in stock - not all colors though
 
This is NOT going to be the last time that I say this, but this freaking sucks! How do y'all handle this during your winters? FWIW, the T+D on this morning's run was 139 and it felt perfect to me.
I find rD very different than running in even colder temps here (Canada). The biggest difference is the waiting in the corrals. When I run outside here I get all my winter running gear on and I warm up indoors and then I start running as soon as I walk out the door. I'm not standing around a parking lot/ corral for 2+ hours. That's what I need the extra/ throwaway layers for.
 
I found these gloves which seem to be good on Amazon for only about $1 per glove.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C52QDXV...psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9ocXBfc2hhcmVk

Now, I have to figure out what hat to wear while running. Any suggestions?

This is NOT going to be the last time that I say this, but this freaking sucks! How do y'all handle this during your winters? FWIW, the T+D on this morning's run was 139 and it felt perfect to me.

I have a couple of these Addidas fleece lined headbands that I picked up from TJ Max years ago. They work great for me (as someone who wears a ponytail). I’m not sure my ears have ever gotten cold with them. I will run outside into the 20s maybe colder if no wind. Typically the top of my head doesn’t get cold (even with not very thick hair); however if it is really cold, I will wear a beanie. Sometimes beanies can leave the bottom of the ears exposed, so you have to make sure you find one that works for you. The beanies that I wear are ones that came from races, so nothing crazy (but a fleece lining is helpful).
If it is only slightly cold - mid-40s, I wear a light headband (Bondi Band or Junk) over my ears. They are easily removed and stashed in a pocket.
IMG_2247.jpeg

ETA: With the headband, I will also wear it over a hat/visor if it is sunny out. So, if you are used to wearing a hat, use that to protect the top of your head, and then find a headband to cover your ears.
 
I found these gloves which seem to be good on Amazon for only about $1 per glove.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C52QDXV...psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9ocXBfc2hhcmVk

Now, I have to figure out what hat to wear while running. Any suggestions?

This is NOT going to be the last time that I say this, but this freaking sucks! How do y'all handle this during your winters? FWIW, the T+D on this morning's run was 139 and it felt perfect to me.

Right now I’m in the “I’ll believe it when it see it” camp when it comes to the race-day temperatures. The jet stream can change, and with it how far down any cold temperatures reach Florida.

That said, I did one of my 20-mile training runs in similar conditions, and I wore a merino wool long sleeve with running tights, and felt super comfortable. During Black Friday I ordered Harrier and Brighton merino tops with Turnover tights from Tracksmith, and they all performed great in 30 degree temps. I’m sure something from Smartwool or similar company would work as well. Merino wool is great because it keeps you warm even when wet, as opposed to synthetic fabrics. Also, it doesn’t stink after a workout! It makes doing laundry at home at little easier when you crack open the dirty clothes bag.
 
How do y'all handle this during your winters? FWIW, the T+D on this morning's run was 139 and it felt perfect to me.
We must be different breeds 😆. My run this morning had a temp of 72 and dew point of 68. I thought I might melt into the ground! 🥵

My favorite running temps are 40s to low 50s. As others here said, that's not great for standing around for hours pre race. I'm glad I packed my throwaway Santa suit before we flew south 🤶🏼. I am planning to buy a pair of gloves though because I only packed one pair and they're the ones I usually wear for winter running.
 
Right now I’m in the “I’ll believe it when it see it” camp when it comes to the race-day temperatures. The jet stream can change, and with it how far down any cold temperatures reach Florida.

That said, I did one of my 20-mile training runs in similar conditions, and I wore a merino wool long sleeve with running tights, and felt super comfortable. During Black Friday I ordered Harrier and Brighton merino tops with Turnover tights from Tracksmith, and they all performed great in 30 degree temps. I’m sure something from Smartwool or similar company would work as well. Merino wool is great because it keeps you warm even when wet, as opposed to synthetic fabrics. Also, it doesn’t stink after a workout! It makes doing laundry at home at little easier when you crack open the dirty clothes bag.
I use Smartwool running socks all year long! I love them. I have like 10 pairs. I’ve been wanting to try a merino wool shirt but haven’t bit the bullet yet since they can be pricy. Maybe I should check out Amazon for one since I sweat even in the cold.
 
Right now I’m in the “I’ll believe it when it see it” camp when it comes to the race-day temperatures. The jet stream can change, and with it how far down any cold temperatures reach Florida.

That said, I did one of my 20-mile training runs in similar conditions, and I wore a merino wool long sleeve with running tights, and felt super comfortable. During Black Friday I ordered Harrier and Brighton merino tops with Turnover tights from Tracksmith, and they all performed great in 30 degree temps. I’m sure something from Smartwool or similar company would work as well. Merino wool is great because it keeps you warm even when wet, as opposed to synthetic fabrics. Also, it doesn’t stink after a workout! It makes doing laundry at home at little easier when you crack open the dirty clothes bag.
Thus far, the coldest that it has been during one of my runs was 49 degrees and I was fine wearing a long sleeve rD top and shorts. Running in the 30s is a foreign animal to me and it's not something that I can simulate in the next 1 1/2 weeks. The thing that is somewhat freaking me out is "nothing new on race day." I've never run wearing gloves or a winter hat before, so I don't know what the hell is going to happen during the HM.

I'm hoping beyond hope that your attitude will bring with it a change in the temperature forecast. At least into the high 40s or low 50s. I still won't be comfortable, but it's doable.
 
Thus far, the coldest that it has been during one of my runs was 49 degrees and I was fine wearing a long sleeve rD top and shorts. Running in the 30s is a foreign animal to me and it's not something that I can simulate in the next 1 1/2 weeks. The thing that is somewhat freaking me out is "nothing new on race day." I've never run wearing gloves or a winter hat before, so I don't know what the hell is going to happen during the HM.

I'm hoping beyond hope that your attitude will bring with it a change in the temperature forecast. At least into the high 40s or low 50s. I still won't be comfortable, but it's doable.
The good news about wearing gloves or a winter hat is that they shouldn’t chafe (knock on wood), but if they do, you can easily remove them. Don’t let them become a mental distraction.
I use gloves to help control my temperature. If it is in between temperatures, they may go on and off several times - even if my long sleeves are pushed up.
Gloves are usually light enough, that if I don’t have room to stash them in a pocket, I can carry them in my hands for a bit - And I generally don’t like carrying anything in my hands.
Also, a too warm ear band can cause me to heat up, so it may come off at some point too.
Just be ready to go with how you are feeling. Try and have space available to stash them, in case you decide to take them off, but as discussed earlier, it could get colder as the race goes on, so you may want to put them back on later in the race.
 
Thus far, the coldest that it has been during one of my runs was 49 degrees and I was fine wearing a long sleeve rD top and shorts. Running in the 30s is a foreign animal to me and it's not something that I can simulate in the next 1 1/2 weeks. The thing that is somewhat freaking me out is "nothing new on race day." I've never run wearing gloves or a winter hat before, so I don't know what the hell is going to happen during the HM.

I'm hoping beyond hope that your attitude will bring with it a change in the temperature forecast. At least into the high 40s or low 50s. I still won't be comfortable, but it's doable.
FL 30s is tough as the humidity can be more bone-chilling cold than say MN 30s. Gloves should be fine at that temp, I prefer a fleece glove compared to the cheapie $1 gloves, because the elastic on the wrist bothers me and makes my fingers numb. Something like this:
Screenshot 2024-12-30 at 12.28.30 PM.png

For hat, I recommend a fleece headband. Nothing too tight, shouldn't cause any issues.

1.jpg


Agree that the "nothing new" rule doesn't really apply to headband/gloves unless you have fabric allergies or something, either case I always recommend washing before wearing if possible.

I would definitely be wearing pants if it's truly going to be in the 30s. In MN I will actually wear fleece leggings at that temp, because it's hard to move with cold/stiff legs. If you haven't worn pants before on a run, I'd probably consider getting a pair now and testing them out to make sure they don't fall down. I have not really had issues with chafing related to wearing leggings, but certainly have had issues with them not fitting right and falling down. A belt like a flipbelt can be great for keeping pants up though, in desperate times :laughing:

For tops, just layer more. In the 30s, I am probably wearing at least a long sleeve + quarter zip, and often will add another short sleeve or thicker quarter zip (such as a fleece Columbia) if there's wind.

A neck gaiter is another great thing to have. I'm partial to the brand Buff. 30s is a bit of an iffy temp for me. Most of the time I will be fine with a regular buff (coolnet UV) but if the windchill is bad, I will switch to a lightweight merino wool buff. I find the merino wool better for breathability if you need to cover your mouth/nose with it (I can't breathe through normal version).
 
Can you please share a link for the gloves that you found?
This is what I grabbed--they also have packs of neutral colors. I don't really care if the touch screen feature works, but I figured it couldn't hurt.

I also grabbed a couple packs of these head things, because I can use them to cover whatever part of my head is cold, and also use them in summer to soak up sweat.
 
I also grabbed a couple packs of these head things, because I can use them to cover whatever part of my head is cold, and also use them in summer to soak up sweat.
I'm not certain what the hell those things are, but you hit the nail on the head with using them to protect your head from the cold AND to soak up sweat when it's hot. Thank you.
 
I'm not certain what the hell those things are, but you hit the nail on the head with using them to protect your head from the cold AND to soak up sweat when it's hot. Thank you.
Those are neck gaiters - @Disneyhanna mentioned them at the end of her post. They can be worn a lot of different ways - like @Naomeri mentioned for head covering or for keeping your neck, chin, and nose warm.

https://www.buff.com/ca/how-to-wear...0CfMUSQ70xExHORH3MJXEDCwhi0eh2dxoCav8QAvD_BwE
 
Those are neck gaiters - @Disneyhanna mentioned them at the end of her post. They can be worn a lot of different ways - like @Naomeri mentioned for head covering or for keeping your neck, chin, and nose warm.

https://www.buff.com/ca/how-to-wear...0CfMUSQ70xExHORH3MJXEDCwhi0eh2dxoCav8QAvD_BwE
I was introduced to them through skiing years ago. I picked up a Smartwool one at REI today, along with these gloves, which I'll be able to use here at home for all kinds of things. (Thank you gift certificates!) https://www.rei.com/product/223712/smartwool-active-fleece-wind-mittens
 
Sigh. I took some time to look at previous cold race temps and what I wore…

2017 Marathon: 36º, Feels Like 27º, 82% humidity, 14mph winds - felt much colder than…
2018 10K: 36º, Feels Like 27º, 49% humidity, 14mph winds - that lower humidity felt a lot better with the same temp and wind speed
2018 Half: 43º, Feels Like 37º, 50% humidity, 9mph winds

So the good news is that I survived them all and didn’t even have good thermal tights at the time! But… I was really, really unhappy with trying to layer up and rock a costume: a skirt was just more than I was willing to manage, so I abandoned the costume game for all of those races. If we go even colder than that, I think I need to seriously reconsider a costume. I need to go put on some leggings and a skirt, then try putting a pair of sweatpants under the skirt and see just how annoyed I am by it.
 












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