Marathon Weekend 2026

[Naomeri]

And make sure you keep your neatly packaged disposable poncho on your person, not in your checked gear bag where it can't do you any good. This past MW, it started raining on Half day less than 5 minutes after I checked my gear bag and I spent the whole time in the corrals wet and freezing, and my shirt never dried out even after almost 4 hours on course.

On that note, have a dry shirt or a jacket in a gear bag/with a spectator at the finish to put on after the race--especially if you're using the runDisney buses, they sometimes have the air cranked and I've had chattering teeth on the bus even when it's 75°F outside.

 

[FFigawi]

For race weekends, I have the following items on standby:

- For rain - A running raincoat (i.e. something light that breathes), a hat (keeps the rain out of your face), disposable ponchos (pro-tip: bring an extra one to cover your feet while waiting in the corrals), throwaway towel or cushion to sit on and keep your butt dry
- For heat - tank top, sweat towel, ice bandana, multiple water bottles, sunscreen
- For cold - throwaway sweatshirts, sweatpants, and blankets (if I see something cheap throughout the year, I pick them up), mylar blankets or ponchos (the ponchos do double duty as rain gear and are invaluable if it is both raining and cold), thin gloves, multiple packs of disposable hand warmers, a running hat, full length running tights and lightweight (non-throwaway) fleece jacket, arm sleeves (I cannot emphasize what a game changer these are!), I've also used my running raincoat as an additional layer, particularly if it's windy

Cold weather creates great "shopping" opportunities during the race too. I've upgraded my gloves from cheap white cotton ones to nice fleece ones during a cold marathon before, and last year, I found a brand-new-with-stickers-still-on fleece hoodie on the fence in the Epcot parking lot while waiting for a character photo during the 10k.