Marathon Weekend 2026

[DisneyParrothead]

SAFD: it definitely depends on the storm. If it’s not lightning/thundering, but not yet raining, I’ll get out in my neighborhood and am ok getting caught in the rain. If it’s already raining, regardless of thunder, I’m inside. There’s a huge difference between getting caught in the rain when it’s starts versus it’s already raining.

 

[RuntheMouse]

SAFD: I LOVE running in the rain! As long as it’s not lightning I’ll run in it. If there is lightning, I’ll move my run but it’s always outside, I don’t/won't own a dreadmill. I like to wear hi-vis on those days for a little more heads up when on the roads. My only complaint would be if it’s long run day and my fingers are too wet to open my fuel!

 

[BigEeyore]

SAFD: I don't have access to a TM so it's either run outside or not at all. I'm good with warm and rainy (as long as no lightening), but once it starts getting below about 55 I avoid it.
If anyone here ran the MCM in 2019 - that was the absolute worst rain I have ever run in! I learned afterwards that Reagan airport was at a ground stop because the weather was so bad! Then the ankle deep water on the mall added another level of awful!

 

[jrsharp21]

SAFD: During the summer months here in Houston, I pray for it to start raining while out on a rain. If it does rain while you are out on a run, you want to finish that run while it's still raining. If not, the temperature goes right back up as soon as the rain ends, and you are basically running in an outdoor sauna. Definitely during the warmer months, I will go out for a run in the rain. When it gets to the winter time, rain pretty much means skipping the run that day and do something different like getting on a stationary bike or indoor swimming at the gym.

 

[KCO5988]

SAFD: I absolutely love running in the rain. Did a 6 miler on Saturday in the rain and it was like a therapy session! Ultimate runner's high... especially when compared to the normal 90 degrees it's been on some of my runs recently.

 

[Erika10021]

SAFD: I absolutely love running in the rain. Did a 6 miler on Saturday in the rain and it was like a therapy session! Ultimate runner's high... especially when compared to the normal 90 degrees it's been on some of my runs recently.

Me too!

 

[Goofed98]

I live in Phoenix. I just don't run on the day it rains each year.

 

[nancipants]

ATTQOTD: Even though I’m in Florida, I rarely have to deal with rain because I run in the morning, and we typically get rain later on in the day. If it does rain in the morning, I’ll run outside as long as we don’t have lightning and it’s not “cold”. Otherwise, I’m on the treadmill.

 

[marty3d]

SAFD: In the summer, I love running in the rain (assuming no lightning). Because I primarily run on trails my most important equipment change on those days are to wear water resistant or trail shoes. Just finished 5k in light rain today!

 

[accm]

SAFD: If it's already raining, I'll either push back my run or do it on the treadmill. If I'm already out and it starts raining, I'll continue my run, and actually enjoy it. I feel like it's a mental block starting the run when it's already raining...

 

[matt and beth]

SAFD:
So many brave souls. I don’t like it if more than a sprinkle. Feel like it ruins my running shoes. I ended up tossing my racing shoes after 2024 WDW downpour

 

[LSUlakes]

Heres yalls way to early to start planning random question on July 7, 2025... What time do the buses start rolling for the marathon? The race starts at 4:30 AM and google tells me 3:00 AM busses start rolling but that seems like a short amount of time to get that many people to epcot. If you are staying at Pop, when would you suggest I get to the bus stop?

 

[marty3d]

Heres yalls way to early to start planning random question on July 7, 2025... What time do the buses start rolling for the marathon? The race starts at 4:30 AM and google tells me 3:00 AM busses start rolling but that seems like a short amount of time to get that many people to epcot. If you are staying at Pop, when would you suggest I get to the bus stop?

Buses started at 2am this year for the 4:30am start. I assume they will be the same in January.

 

[LSUlakes]

Buses started at 2am this year for the 4:30am start. I assume they will be the same in January.

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Thats brutally early lol. So waking up at 1 AM I guess. From Pop is it risky to wait till 2:30 or 3:00 to get there and gear checked before 4:30?

 

[marty3d]

Thats brutally early lol. So waking up at 1 AM I guess. From Pop is it risky to wait till 2:30 or 3:00 to get there and gear checked before 4:30?

I think you'd be fine at 2:30 to get to the start and check your gear. Depends how early you want to get into the corral. And attend the meetup of course!

(and yes- it's crazy early)

 

[LSUlakes]

I think you'd be fine at 2:30 to get to the start and check your gear. Depends how early you want to get into the corral. And attend the meetup of course!

(and yes- it's crazy early)

How early is the meetup?

 

[Herding_Cats]

How early is the meetup?

the meetup is pretty informal. we tend to kind of drop in/out. some people like to get the character pics and might pop in a little later, some people like to get to their corral right away and leave sooner. I'd say that the bulk of us arrive somewhere around 30min after the reunion area opens, and most everyone is gone 30min after the corrals open. Some of us get to the meetup and chat for a little bit, then pop over to gearcheck (we are right by the entrance to gearcheck) and then maybe pop back over to say hello to anyone who may have just arrived. there are no rules!

Looking at this past MW's thread, it appears we did a group pic at around 4am on 10k day, and then mostly wandered off to corrals shortly after that (at least DH and I did, I can't speak for the others.)

It looks like we mostly split up by 4am for the HM on Saturday (where we all got drenched in the downpour)

And on Sunday I was in my corral by 330, after stopping at the meetup for probably around 20min.

 

[camaker]

the meetup is pretty informal. we tend to kind of drop in/out. some people like to get the character pics and might pop in a little later, some people like to get to their corral right away and leave sooner. I'd say that the bulk of us arrive somewhere around 30min after the reunion area opens, and most everyone is gone 30min after the corrals open. Some of us get to the meetup and chat for a little bit, then pop over to gearcheck (we are right by the entrance to gearcheck) and then maybe pop back over to say hello to anyone who may have just arrived. there are no rules!

Looking at this past MW's thread, it appears we did a group pic at around 4am on 10k day, and then mostly wandered off to corrals shortly after that (at least DH and I did, I can't speak for the others.)

It looks like we mostly split up by 4am for the HM on Saturday (where we all got drenched in the downpour)

And on Sunday I was in my corral by 330, after stopping at the meetup for probably around 20min.

I'd also add that I think the meet-ups this year were a bit more abbreviated and a bit less attended than normal, largely due to the cold and rain.

 

[Herding_Cats]

I'd also add that I think the meet-ups this year were a bit more abbreviated and a bit less attended than normal, largely due to the cold and rain.

I would absolutely agree with that. I feel like those of us in the further back corrals tend to head out a little sooner on HM and M day because we want to be more toward the front of our respective corrals.

 

[3princesandaprincess]

SAFD: I tend to do a lot of treadmill running, but am not opposed to a run in the rain (unless it’s crazy cold). During covid, when the gym closed - I ran outside rain/shine/ freezing you name it! I needed it for sanity!
Now I have a treadmill at home, and am a bit picky about outside runs during the heat of summer or the cold. I do enjoy an outdoor run in the fall or spring - even with light rain!