I am supposed to do an 18 miler on Sunday and it looks like it is going to rain hard. Since I am training for a fall marathon I am going to run anyway because who knows if it is going to rain during the marathon that I have been training all fall for.
So, what should I wear? Regular technical type t-shirt or something else? What about socks? What do you wear in a fall marathon if its raining and cold? Would anyone wear a rain poncho to run in, especially in a marathon?
I run in the rain all of the time. Sometimes I start when it is already raining, and other times I just get caught in the rain. I do not take any special precautions other than rotating my shoes so that they dry properly.
I will usually wear a hat just to help protect my eyes from the raindrops. Dry your shoes out good afterwards. Don’t try to stay dry because it wont happen. Remember to hydrate you will lose more liquids then you think when its raining and could get behind. Have fun. I also enjoy running in bad weather when no body is out.
Rain raises the chafing factor exponentially. If you’re a dude, watch your nipples (bandaids, vaseline, etc.). Bodyglide any problem areas very well before heading out.
I’m in the same boat as you, my friend. I am running 20 on Sunday, in preparation for the Philly Marathon next month. Which race are you doing??? Personally, it would have to be pretty cold in order for me to consider wearing a poncho in a marathon. Normally I would stick with a technical type shirt. As far as socks go, I always wear the crew type. Some people may go sock-less, but I certainly wouldn’t recommend it unless you have trained that way.
This is really challenging. A rain poncho would not work well with all the flapping involved. Most rain wear gets really steamy, also. If you are running a decent pace the wicking type shirts work pretty well down into the mid to upper 40’s (F). I would recommend a long sleeve shirt in polypropylene or similar fabric, hat and gloves. I like smartwool socks, they are warm even if wet.
When it comes to running in the rain, it really depends on what the temperature is - that’s what is going to dictate what to wear.
Always go with a technical fabric - reason being that even if it is raining, the heat of your body is going to be “pushing” the moistuire away from your body - unless it is a monsoon like rain.
10C is my line of demarkation where I might start to think about tights and a long sleeve top for racing in. For training in those temps if it is raining, I would always put tights and a long sleeve top on. It is best to always be a bit warm when training.
A great way to regulate body temp is with a toque or gloves. When racing if the temp was less than 10C I would start out with these items on, then if I got to warm, take them off and they can be easily carried stuffed in the waistband of my running shorts
As others have pointed out, chafing become a larger problem in the rain. Use vaseline on high chafing areas and if below 10C and you decide to go with bare legs, give you legs a good run with Vaseline all over before the start. This will shed water off the legs and help keep you warm.
Fleck
Toque! You Canadians 
greg
a few years ago i did a marathon in Providence, RI when it was rainy and pretty cold – surprisingly it was not much of an issue, you’re so focused on everything else the rain is the least of your discomforts! mainly it made me more cold than other races AFTER the race when i was standing around getting my bearings.
I’m doing philly. I got sick of getting shut out of nyc - 3 years in a row. I bet the change the automatic entry rule next year too.
Thanks for the advice. I’m a chafer so its good to know.
Definitely no cotton. Very thin coolmax/ultimax type socks. Band aids on nipples. Long sleeves and skin tight tights if it is cold. I have a Nike skin tight stretchy top that is good. I am bald, so a hat or a Headsweats doo rag is good to wring out and wipe my eyes.
I absolutely love running in the rain. Once everything is wet it does not matter that it’s raining anymore and you can just go.
I got shut out of NYC also. What kind of time are you looking to do in Philly? I am a first-time marathoner. Looking to break 4:00. We’ll see!
We say Toque because that clearly defines what it is. If I say hat, then 90% of people will, I suspect, think ball cap with a brim.
I have this thin Sugoi microfleece cap that is perhaps THE most important thing in my running and cycling kit. Works for running on it’s own. It can also be used as a helmet liner for riding in cold weather. Covering and uncovering my head with it, while running is like the radiator on the car - you can really control the rest of the bodies heat by how much is escaping through your head. When not in use it stuffs easly in the waist band of running tighs or shorts or in the back pocket of a cycling jersey.
I wear it to warm up on cool racing mornings and put it on right away after I finish races on cool days to help ward off that post-race chill. It’s incredibly versatile. It should be an essential part of every athletes kit.
Fleck
I guess this means I’m doing my 20 miler in the rain Sunday too! Another Philly racer here.
Welcome to the club!
If you are going to break 4 hours anywhere you can do it at Philly. 99% flat and the weather is usually good.
That is what I have been hearing. I’m thinking that it should be a good first-timers race due to the flat course and much smaller crowds than NYC. We have a group of 10 NYC lottery ‘rejects’ heading down there from Long Island. Should be a good time. Good luck!
Thanks, hope you have a good race too.
<< Maybe a tiny tiny tube of ‘ass lube’ >>
<< Running in the rain always brings a smile for me, really fun. >>
I guess you get a reacharound then? 
Unless it’s cold and rainy, no need for a jacket, just wear wicking stuff, lube up (where and with what is up to you. not that there’s anything wrong with that.), and get out there and run. If it is cold and rainy, I’ll wear my SealSkinz socks, but otherwise reg’lar coolmax socks are fine.
I did 18 miles in Tropical Storm Tammy yesterday. It was fun. Heh.
IMFL is right around the corner!
Trae