Is it possible to race well when it’s freezing cold out?

Most would argue that no, it’s not and that the ideal temperature for racing a long distance race is around 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit.

But we can’t always get those perfect racing days, especially in December, January, and February in most parts of the country. So what are we to do? Just not race? No way!

Winter has unique challenges, but that doesn’t mean you can’t race to a good outcome! If you have the right strategies in place, you can stay warm, race fast, and even enjoy the experience.

Flashback

For those of you with NCAA knowledge or experience, you might remember when the NCAA cross country meet was held in Waterloo, Iowa. This was in 2003 and the mighty Stanford team ran away with the team title, putting 4 runners in the top 6 and 6 runners in the top 13. [How they were that deep is beyond me. How they raced that well in those conditions is even more impressive.]

That’s right. On that day in November, temperatures hovered in the single digits with gusty winds, making it feel close to 0 degrees.

For my Villanova squad and me, the hardest part of the whole race was figuring out what to wear so that we’d be able to run our best. I’d venture to say that we didn’t get it right, but we also didn’t get it wrong. We wound up finishing in 11th as a team {2 seniors, 2 freshmen, and 2 sophomores finished}.

All this to say, it was hard to decide what to wear, racing against the best collegiate runners in the country. Long sleeves? Arm sleeves? Full tights or half? Hats and gloves?

---

How to Prepare for a Cold Race

Dress in Layers

Running your warmup in layers is the right move. You can’t stay warm, even while you’re running, if you can’t get warm in the first place.

I always, always overdress, especially as I make my way to warmup. As I get going, I might shed a layer, but I’d rather be sweaty than cold. Then, when it’s race time, I put on as few layers as possible while still staying as warm as possible.

That might be a long sleeve or it could be a short sleeve and arm sleeves, but my goal is to not freeze, but also not over-heat.

My best suggestion to you is this: bring options. It’s easy to trade out clothes if you have them with you, but it’s quite impossible to put on clothing if you haven’t brought it with you. Pack more than you expect to need.

Keep Moving

When I was coaching the distance runners in school, I always had a saying for them, especially during spring track when March and April track meets can be warm one minute and freezing the next: “ABM”, which stands for Always Be Moving.

When you’re a track athlete and you’re waiting for the heat ahead of you to finish or even when you are waiting for a road race to start, if you are standing still, you’re getting cold. But if you can keep a layer on before your race starts AND you keep moving around [drills, jogging, strides] you are more likely to stay warm and stay loose.

This is why you are likely to see the front few rows of a road race always moving around like a busy bee while the back half of a race is standing still shivering. But just because you might be in the back, doesn’t mean you can’t move around and stay warm. You can. It just takes a bit more maneuvering and problem solving.

Longer Warmup/Less Downtime

When it’s really cold out, you’ll want to extend your warmup and make sure you’re cutting it as close to the start of the race as possible. More idle time equates to more time spent getting cold.

If I would normally give myself 15 minutes after my warmup to do drills and change, I might only give myself 8 so that I don’t risk the chance of negating all the work I did to get warm before the race.

And if you can, before you even start your warmup, stay indoors or in your car, so you don’t spend half of your warmup just getting warm.

Post-Race

After your race, change into dry clothes. Right away. Before you get cold and stiff, get clothes back on. Preferably dry clothes, but definitely more clothes. You don’t want sweaty clothes turning you into a meat locker.

Again, this is where bringing extra clothes comes in handy. You might not know what you need, so pack everything!

• Instagram
• Threads
• Facebook
• WordPress
• Link
• RSS Feed
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Pinterest
• TikTok

Recap

Listen to your body. Cold temperatures don’t exactly make for great racing, but you can still get in a really good effort.

If you are shivering before your race, you are not going to race well. Period. Make sure you are warmed up (with running) and staying warm (with clothes).

Dress appropriately for the weather conditions, the length of the race, and how you want to perform.

Embracing the weather and dealing with it accordingly will help you have a good race that you can be proud of.

---

🔥 Ready to take on a winter race? Share your upcoming race goals in the comments!

❄️ Struggling with winter training? Message me for personalized coaching!

🏃‍♂️ Want a cold-weather race day checklist? Download my free guide!

Race Day Checklist

💬 Share this with a friend who needs motivation to run in the cold!

📩 Sign up for my newsletter for more running tips straight to your inbox!

---

---

Thanks for reading until the end! Ready for more?

---

Want my weekly running newsletter?

• What Your Training Break Might Look Like
  November 7, 2025
  Yes, you do need a break from training
• How to Adjust Training For the Cold
  October 31, 2025
  We're not quite there yet, but soon!
• Runners Need Rest; It's Part of Training
  October 24, 2025
  Rest is part of training, but we rarely listen to that part of training.

---

Looking for running resources?

---

Find me on social media!

• Instagram
• Threads
• Facebook
• WordPress
• Link
• RSS Feed
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Pinterest
• TikTok

---

Searching for a running coach? TrainwithMarc has flexible schedules, dynamic plans, and access to a coach who’s worked with every type of runner.

TrainwithMarc will design a training plan based on your needs, running history, and your goals.

Gear I Love