If it's raining, then it's not snowing, so that means it's too warm to be concerned with wearing a jacket for running :)

Unless temps are near freezing or below, I believe you'll find that any legitimately water-repellent jacket is going to be a miserable greenhouse during a sustained run.

If it's chilly and you just need something to cover bare skin in the wind, get a breathable synthetic long-sleeve shirt - as long as it's not cotton, it won't hold much water. Yes, you'll get soaking wet (you will be one way or another no matter what), but at least you won't be cooking from the inside, and it'll help cut any wind chill. A light-weight (but breathable!) skull-cap and gloves can help with chill too.

YMMV, of course.

Cheers, Chris

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Possibly Frogg Toggs? My vote is treadmill.

Layers. When the weather turns cold, it's all about layers - multiple and thin. My rule of thumb in determining cold-weather outfits is that I should be slightly uncomfortable when I step outside. This ensures that - even in rain - my body will warm up enough to maintain a comfortable balance. Even in cold temps, you're going to sweat. All that a rain jacket does is lock the sweat in.

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Agree with above RE: if it's raining it's not snowing. 90% of the time I run with normal running wear in the rain. The other 10% of the time it's cold as hell (like 33 degrees/raining, so not *quite*snowing) and I wear my Solomon XT for a little warmth and rain protection.

Go with a vest to block the wind/water from your core and a thin, tight fitting long sleeved base layer to give your arms a bit of a windbreak.

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Oh god, no. Maybe, just maybe a mesh-backed vest for a front torso barrier if it's absolutely pelting from the wind, but otherwise any sort of full shell becomes a personal steamer unit. Hat or ear band and gloves are the only requirements and layer the rest as needed (usually not a whole lot if it's above freezing). Other than that, if you're cold, just run harder.

I love my Brooks jacket! It's VERY lightweight and 'breathes' just fine for me and still keeps me dry when it is raining. If it is really cold out, I just add a couple layers underneath it.

http://www.brooksrunning.com/...0265,default,pd.html

I've seen them for clearance on the web @ around $25.

Heck no. Too warm. I wear a compression shirt underneath and a long sleeve jersey over that, tights, and a full cap to keep the rain out of my face. Gloves are nice to have. The hands freeze in the first 15 minutes of the run until the core warms up. Then the gloves become unnecessary. But those first 15 minutes I can't even operate the watch or the MP3 player my hands are that numb.

If I can see my breath, I wear gloves, wet or dry

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I wear a light / mid weight waterproof cycling jacket, zips under the arms for when it gets a bit too toasty.

x2 on this. I've lived in very rainy, cold climates the last ten years (England, then Oregon). The trick is to wear a gore-tex jacket but don't overdress the rest of yourself. If you run long, for endurance, you don't want to be all wet.
Today, about 35 degrees, I wore shorts, wool t-shirt, jacket, orca baseball cap.

living in the pacific northwest, there is plenty of rain.
best so far has been a synthetic breathable long sleeve shirt with a breathable vest.

the rain jacket becomes a sauna. even the breathable cycle jackets.
gloves are good.

Warm and wet is much better than cold and wet.

You cannot appreciate how much better wearing a rain jacket is until you don't wear one and the situation turns bad.

Long sleve shirt keeps the cold jacket off of your skin.

Hell no on the jacket!

Long sleeve merino base layer with a mesh-back vest. Sometimes I might add another ss merino layer underneath if I'm worried about the temp. Merino is truly a wonder fabric - wicks the sweat, keeps you warm but breathes so you don't overheat. As long as you keep moving you won't feel cold/wet. It's when you stop that things turn to custard, but that's true regardless of jacket or not.

Thanks for the replies.
I sweat a lot and even in a cold weather (around 32 and less ) so I agree layering is the net solution dealing with low temps.
If the rain jacket seals and warms as you all mentioned here I can just wear a technical tshirt under and I'll probably be good enough.

I might give a try to this brooks LSD jacket if I find it for 25$. All I've found so far is at least 45$.

Thanks again.
Ilan

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I bought the Adidas Supernova Storm jacket last year and have never looked back; I wear it for nearly every run in the winter.

In the cold weather it does a great job of keeping the warmth in and the wind out, and it does a great job of keeping me dry in wet weather. I usually just wear a base layer underneath, possibly a long-sleeve jersey as well, if it's near or below freezing and I don't usually suffer from sauna-syndrome!

I'm usually focusing on slow-and-steady runs at this time of year, so it's an essential piece of kit for not freezing my ass off. It's certainly made me dread wet, winter runs a lot less, and totally worth the $40 or whatever it was.

Salomon Bonati jacket - it's brilliant. Ok, it can be a greenhouse, but I'd rather be that than be too cold. Also wear a very light long sleeve because when you sweat inside, it's a bit annoying to have the plastic on the skin from the jacket.

It depends on the temperature and the session.

I don't mind getting wet, but there's no point being cold and miserable.
If it's light rain, I probably wear my usual gear or may wear a really light rain jacket if it's cold and run will be long enough to get wet through and easy enough not to overheat.
If it's heavy, I wear the same really light rain jacket over appropriate base layers for the session intensity planned.

Wet isn't the problem, cold is.
Breathable rain gear is a farce.
Good base layers prevent moisture from being uncomfortable.
You may be warm enough in the middle of a hard session despite cold weather and wet clothes exposed to the elements, but warm up, cool down, or recovery intervals can get cold very quickly with forced convection over wet clothes. A rain jacket massively reduces this even though it doesn't keep you dry. Staying dry is not the point. I do find a rain jacket directly on the skin a bit unpleasant and usually (but not always) have either bare arms, a thin sleeve or a light sleeve inside the rain jacket.

the same goes for cycling, but even more so since airspeed is typically much higher.

I've never finished a hard running session dry no matter the weather or my clothing.

When I train, I sweat.

One of my fastest marathons was in December in the rain while wearing a light rain jacket. A warm wet sweat is better than a cold wet rain.

Your biggest danger is if you get wet and then have to stop or walk for some reason. Do that, and you could get dangerously cold. So for shorter runs, you don't need one. But if you're doing some long run where there's a chance you'll be walking, bonking, standing, or sitting (ultramarathons come to mind), then maybe pack a thin rain jacket of sorts.

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It really depends. Over time you build a collection of various jackets and sweaters...

I get cold easily. If it's >10C/50F, a long sleeve will do. Wet from rain or from sweat is the same for me.

Between freezing and and 10C/50F, I'll usually wear a shell with something underneath.

But there will be peculiar occasion... like, Boston this year. Rainy, windy, below freezing point (yet still rain...). I chose to wear something that didn't breathe at all (a LG biking rainjacket). Kept the water out for the most part and kept me warm for the most part. Most... But YMMV, I had a tuque, gloves, rainjacket, sweater underneath, and there will still some other runners that were bare chested (!!!).

Never found one I liked for running, not sure it's possible for something to be waterproof and yet breathable enough that I don't just get sweaty. Much prefer one or more layers that wick well, retain warmth when wet and don't chafe.

I don't run much in the rain anymore...because I ain't in the Army anymore...but for me when I do it, jackets are all based on temperature. If it's below 50 yeah...if it's below 70 a light windbreaker type jacket that is also waterproof.

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Jackets are too sweaty and noisy and unaero

Fitted long sleeve bike shirt works well

Or if you want more, one of those sleeveless bike vests with windbreaker front and breathable mesh back as shell

Then with cap and gloves to feel dry