Erm, dumb question, but... what do you do when it rains??
Just occurred to me I’ve never actually run in the rain before, and the forecast is beginning to look, shall we say, a tad wet!
So if it’s a bit chilly, I have some running tights and long sleeved running T shirts, and could layer up... but do you lot have specialist wet weather running gear? e.g. I have an extremely light shell hiking jacket which would keep the rain off I suppose, but are hiking jackets fundamentally different to running jackets??
Just wondered what you do - wrap up for the wet in all sorts of specialist running gear... or just run as normal, get wet, and experience the weather in all its glory?
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HoagyM
Graduate10
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Glad you asked...i was thinking the same, plus I wear glasses so not sure how I'll cope with running in the rain
I've just worn my cap in the rain (not ONLY my cap, I seen Steve's advice!). Keeps the rain out of your face and that's the main thing.
I have invested in a lightweight North Face flyweight jacket. Wore it once, but it was so good to have rain (drizzle) that it remained on my waist the entire run!
Before I bought it, I tried my Muddy Fox cycling jacket, but it was completely waterproof, not breathable so I ended up wetter on the inside! So, make sure anything you buy is breathable.
Hope that helps!
• in reply to
Should also add, North Face have a Goretex membrane jacket. It's only couple of hundred quid and if you are tempted just don't roll/ fold into a bag when wet, it apparently destroys it and it only comes in black. I thought better of it! But it is a true technical run-designed jacket.
You can spend money on a breathable close-fitting running jacket, or you can get wet ……
Hiking jackets are usually a bit flappier than I would like to run in. And I wouldn't ever think of running in waterproof leggings - legs don't mind the rain.
They’re not sweaty. lightweight run jacket 🙂 You can just take it with you and put it on afterwards for your walk home if you prefer They are packable into tiny space.
I’ve just ordered one off ASOS 👍🏽 I’m excited! Ronhill as Old Floss suggests and breathable and lightweight as well as water and wind proof. £20 in the sale - bonus!
Embrace it! We who ran through the beast from the east will not be beaten! Actually I love running in the rain! Can’t even wear a lightweight jacket as I sweat too much! I even sweat in minus temperatures 😳 This heat is a killer! In minus temperatures I only wore a long sleeved top over my normal running tee and full length leggings - no jacket. I sometimes had a buff to cover my mouth if my asthma flared up in the extreme cold but that was only at the start of c25k and I’ve not suffered asthma since. I’ll invest in some ice treads next year though as it got quite treacherous at times ⛸😂
I’ve never been excited for autumn to arrive before 🤷🏽♀️ Oh I also have a fleece headband which covers your ears when it’s really cold, although that made me sweat too.
I used my buff around my neck/mouth last winter as the cold triggered my asthma, however my asthma has all but disappeared so I can transfer to my head for my ears - good idea! Or I could double buff 😂
Er... really, you just get wet. Waterproofs -> sweaty unless super super technical. It's not hazardous unless you have lots of leaves underfoot or rotting fruit etc. If you wear glasses like me, hat with a brim for visibility if it's a bit heavy.
If it ever gets cold again, just make sure you end your run near home so you don't have to walk when you're wet, mitigating the risk of too-quick cooling.
I bought a (supposedly) breathable shell thing in the sales from Trespass in about week 7 as I didn't want to have any excuses to not run. Hasn't rained since so I don't know how it will be! At the moment I would LOVE to run in the rain 🌧🌧
I’ve run in a berghaus shell (no inner) with a long sleeve running top underneath (rainy April) - recently bought a UA windproof jacket in sale - says waterproof too, ready for the rain
Yeah, that (Berghaus shell) is exactly what I have. So sounds like the answer is to 1. run in the rain and enjoy it, 2. use that shell jacket if I feel I really need to, and 3. invest in a proper running jacket if I think I need one after steps 1 and 2. Sounds like a plan 😀
Running in the rain, especially in summer/autumn is glorious. I wear my usual shorts/T-shirt and just get wet. In the winter I have a lightweight rainproof jacket, but it always makes me sweaty. I love winter running (apart from snowy/icy conditions).
*does a little rain dance* BRING ON THE RAIN!
Running in the rain makes you feel like a super hero. 👩🏻🎤
I use Yaktrax Pro, the ones with the toe strap, though I snapped one of mine at the end of last winter (in Lidl...getting a cake on the way home...I don't think they are meant to be used in Lidl) and may upgrade to the running version with spikes at the front this winter to see if they're more robust. They're a tricky one to recommend as the reviews for the Yaktrax Pro suddenly went from 5star to 1star in terms of durability, I think they must have had a bad batch of rubber. But in terms of grip they were absolutely brilliant and a total game changer, I'd never have got out in the ice otherwise, so even with the questionable quality control I'd still definitely buy them again. Amazon honoured their returns policy with no trouble on my snapped one, and I didn't mention that I'd used them in Lidl...
There's a photo of them in here, they're quite low profile and don't interfere with my running at all. strava.com/activities/14313...
Thanks to one and all for the replies, really helpful 😀
Still no rain here (last time they forecast it for this exact area, it still somehow missed us🙄)... but I can hear thunder outside as I speak/type, so fingers crossed!
I’m due out for a run first thing, so if the rain does arrive by then, I’ll be reporting back tomorrow to let you know how it went 🏃🏼♂️⛈⛈⛈
I have only been running 9mths this time round but I recall only getting slightly wet the one time. If its raining I wait until it stops generally, which largely it does. And my runs are never so long it is a huge worry. I check the weather of course, I can't imagine in this heat it's be anything other than pleasure to get wet though.
I do have a cheap wet weather run jacket with zip off able sleeves but it just gets me too hot, so it's pointless really.
I have a cheap shell jacket, bought it in Italy for about 15 euros a couple of years ago with running in mind. Looked for a proper running jacket last winter but couldn't find one that fitted and I liked (I am quite small). For now the Italian jacket does just fine.
Ooh something no-one's mentioned? Shoes? They also just get wet, you may need to let them dry, stuffed with newspaper, and not directly against a heat source.
Am drastically hoping all this talk of rain results in...rain!
Everyone else seems to love it, but I hate running in the rain. Snow, wind, drizzle—that's fine. In fact, running in the snow is great! But raindrops are horrible. They make my clothes cling to me like a manky shower curtain, and my shoes skid around on the pavement. Perhaps I was a cat in a former life, but if it's raining I won't be going out in it.
Um ... I don't understand the question. It's nearly August, it's a heatwave, people are putting wet clothes on to stay cool, running generates heat. Just wear what you usually wear. Even if rain brings the temperatures down a few degrees, you're still going to be extremely warm running. If you put a shell jacket on, you might just as well run around in a sauna I have a lightweight, single skin, water resistant running jacket, but even in winter, I usually have to tie it round my waist after 2km, and I'm a person who feels the cold and revels in this hot weather.
And re not understanding the question... I know that you are a more experienced runner than me, but personally I have found this thread (and replies like yours above) really helpful and quite illuminating. e.g. no-one replied to say you would be crazy running in the rain without some form of rain protection, or that they suffer bad chafing when it's wet, or simply that "you'll catch your death" as my old ma used to say.
Instead the consensus seems to be that a lightweight running jacket is best (breathable, less "flappy" than a shell jacket, etc) but most of the time you're better off going without one anyway.
And for me that's all new news and really helpful.
I was being a bit tongue in cheek saying i don't understand the question All \I can say is that I use a running jacket in winter and, except for extremely cold (sub zero) early morning runs, it always comes off after a couple of kms, and I generally feel the cold. Wear a jacket if you want, but I doubt if you will need it running this time of year. When running, add 10 degrees to the outside temperature because of the heat you generate. x
You are forgetting that some of us have only been running for a few months Flick and we haven’t a clue what running in the rain is like. Summer rain I am looking forward to, but autumn/winter will be a new experience and I have found this really interesting. 🏃♀️☀️🌧⛈🌩🌨💨❄️
Well... apart from the obvious answer... you get wet...If I am already out when rain starts.. I have just normal gear on..if it is absolutely throwing it down before I leave... normal gear and a Ron Hill lightweight, waterproof... really lightweight and no sweat at all ! I have two.. and they are brilliant. Quite a few of the Graduates have them..
Slightly windproof too, so great if it gets chillier..also large peak cap.. mine is a Trail-head.. I wear that in summer to keep the glare off my glasses, and it also works to keep the rain off too Again.. totally breathable Not cheap, but worth it
I’ve just found one on ASOS. Men’s but I like Men’s jackets as they are longer in body and arms and I’m tall. It’s wind and waterproof yet breathable and lightweight. £20 reduced from £40. ‘Ronhill everyday running jacket’ 👍🏽
Thanks - I was trying to workout if Oldfloss meant waterproof or “water resistant”. That one looks a great price, so go for it. I’ve already got a Rab water resistant / windproof running jacket, though. (It just absolutely soaks through in torrential rain, so I was curious if there was a truly waterproof option that didn’t end up with you drenched in sweat!)
Do you know what particular name your Ronhill waterproof has, Oldfloss ? There seem to be tonnes on offer, with all sorts of degrees of waterproof and breathability ratings. If I really felt I might get no sweat but properly waterproof out of any of them then I may be tempted to invest in yet another waterproof... I always sweat buckets whatever exercise I do.
Thanks for posting the question, as I’m curious to know what seasoned runners do too. My only wet running experience so far was one torrential downpour after setting off, when I got so soaked to the skin. It was horrible (and I now always carry a plastic bag for my phone whatever the weather now, as my main real concerns were my phone and Fitbit dying). I did also set off once wearing a lightweight breathable waterproof fearing mild drizzle would turn heavier, and I just ended up soaked in sweat.
From my hillwalking experiences, and owning a ridiculous number of Gortex / Paramo / PU lightweight breathable jackets, I’ve come to the conclusion over the years that I sweat a hell of a lot more than most people, and there is no waterproof, however breathable, that will keep me dry even hillwalking never mind running. So while tempted seeing Oldfloss mentioning a lightweight Ronhill waterproof jacket that others have had success with, I’m also suspicious that even that would probably not work for me...
If it's not cold I just get wet, might put my hybrids on for a bit more grip but won't change my running in shorts and vest. Actually now you've mentioned it I'm looking forward to a run in the rain......to be hot from running and not just from the action of tieing up my shoes would be lovely.
Oh I am so looking forward to my first run in summer rain 🌧🏃♀️💧💦 and I will just wear my normal kit, but I don’t know how I will cope when rain and cold come together. That is going to be a test of my resolve....
Running in the rain is fabulous! You usually don't need a rain jacket, as long as it is not too cold. The rain keeps your temperature down, and makes it easier to go the extra mile.
The one item of kit that I use is my gore tex trail shoes, to keep the feet dry (they even worked during the Beast from the East, in the snow!). Trail shoes will give you better grip in the wet, as long as you ;re not running on pavements - they may be more slippery on that surface!
In the Summer, I go as is and get soaked, its fabulous and fun. In Winter, especially on longer runs I wear a Gore and buff on my head etc purely not to get cold. Go out and find your inner child, its really good fun...
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All \I can say is that I use a running jacket in winter and, except for extremely cold (sub zero) early morning runs, it always comes off after a couple of kms, and I generally feel the cold. Wear a jacket if you want, but I doubt if you will need it running this time of year. When running, add 10 degrees to the outside temperature because of the heat you generate. x
A ‘just run’ Run 
Trail ‘run’....more like a paddle!
Snow way am I going out in THAT!!! 
