Marathon Weekend 2027

[Disney at Heart]

SAFD: Disney races
1. 2013 ToT 10 miler, night race - extremely hot, and they were blasting pyrotechnic flames into the air

2. W&D Splash and Dash and Half of a Half, also night races

3. Star Wars 5k, we evacuated to EPCOT and waited until the chaos of “everyone just go”

4. MW half marathon (what year?) when there was no chance of rain until I was in front of CR and the flood started, I ran down Main Street in ankle deep water because the water couldn’t drain as fast as it was coming down

5. My first Dopey, 2017, when the half was cancelled and we ran it around Hourglass lake with the best group of people to ever “make lemonade”

6. 2020 marathon, heat wave


Otherwise interesting:
1. 5k trail race in nice fluffy snow in Anderson, SC.

2. Peach Tree Road Race thunderstorm with 60,000 running friends. DH was finished in Piedmont Park which was evacuated, DS and DIL hadn’t started yet and were evacuated into Phipps Plaza, and me at about mile three. When I asked a race volunteer, “What should I do?” The answer was “Run faster!” So I did.

3. 2025 ATL Thanksgiving half was in freezing wind chills with 25 mph winds

 

[camaker]

SAFD: Disney races
1. 2013 ToT 10 miler, night race - extremely hot, and they were blasting pyrotechnic flames into the air

2. W&D Splash and Dash and Half of a Half, also night races

3. Star Wars 5k, we evacuated to EPCOT and waited until the chaos of “everyone just go”

4. MW half marathon (what year?) when there was no chance of rain until I was in front of CR and the flood started, I ran down Main Street in ankle deep water because the water couldn’t drain as fast as it was coming down

5. My first Dopey, 2017, when the half was cancelled and we ran it around Hourglass lake with the best group of people to ever “make lemonade”

6. 2020 marathon, heat wave


Otherwise interesting:
1. 5k trail race in nice fluffy snow in Anderson, SC.

2. Peach Tree Road Race thunderstorm with 60,000 running friends. DH was finished in Piedmont Park which was evacuated, DS and DIL hadn’t started yet and were evacuated into Phipps Plaza, and me at about mile three. When I asked a race volunteer, “What should I do?” The answer was “Run faster!” So I did.

3. 2025 ATL Thanksgiving half was in freezing wind chills with 25 mph winds

You post a list like this when you're trying to lure me down to the Dam Run? This makes it sound like you might be the lightning rod for bad conditions...

 

[lhermiston]

That is unhinged!

I actually appreciated the sentiment. The race directors were in a tough spot and it was probably a lose/lose situation in some respects.

But he was right. We were adults, we signed a waiver and no one was forced to run.

I’m exceedingly glad I ran that race.

 

[GollyGadget]

SAFD: due to recency bias and my lousy memory, my pick is this past December’s Santa Run. It was single digits with a wind chill of -10F and several inches of snow on the ground. But honestly it didn’t feel all that bad. I did have to break out my fleece tights for under the Santa suit but I don’t remember being cold at all. Below is an after photo and I certainly don’t look miserable





Reading all of your replies reminded me that I do have one more contender. The race weather was fine but conditions were not ideal. It was a trail race in the winter, I don’t even remember how far but there were loops involved so I’m guessing 10K. The first loop had a section that was at least 100m of pure ice. I basically just scurried from tree to tree, trying to stay upright. For the second loop, the temps had unfortunately warmed and I had to run through shin deep freezing water. Somehow I survived and had blocked that from my memory until now. Thanks y’all

 

[Barca33Runner]

SAFD: Every race I’ve run I deemed the weather as good enough to go beforehand; so, generally, I don’t really think about the weather during or after a race and very little comes to mind.

There was a Turkey Trot 10k about 10 years ago that was run after a couple inches of overnight snow and a course that had some spots that were just straight patches of ice. I remember wishing I had signed up for the 5k instead after the first time I almost slipped. Fortunately, came out of it unscathed but my legs hurt for the next week worse than any Marathon I’ve ever run. I believe because of all the extra effort expended to maintain stability in the conditions.

 

[Kerry1957]

SAFD: My first marathon around 7 years ago, The Des Plaines River Trail in suburban Chicago. The weather on race day (mid October) was actually pretty nice; low 50s and overcast. But the course....

We experienced much greater than usual rain in the days and weeks before race day, and the course was flooded. We had the option to cut the course to around 20 miles or defer to next year. It was my first marathon so how could I do either of those?

The worst spot was where the river had flooded the trail, and it was about knee deep for 30-40 yards. It was difficult to know where the trail ended and the river began. Unfortunately it was at mile 1 point something, and part of the only short out and back on the course. So twice in the first 5 miles I waded through. The water was filled with suspended sand and gunk so after exiting the water the first time I hade to sit down and try to rinse the sand out of my shoes and socks. I was a bit smarter the second time and took of my shoes and socks and waded barefoot.

I kept thinking...only 20 miles to go and I can feel sand in my shoes I couldn't wash out. What could go wrong?

I finished with very tender and irritated feet but it was still the most satisfying race of my running "career".