What to Wear Running in the Wind
Dress for the forecast temperature first; our guide to what to wear running today covers that. Then add what the wind changes:
| Forecast temperature | What the wind changes |
|---|---|
| About 60°F and up | Little. A breeze in your face feels good. |
| About 40 to 59°F | In a real wind, not a light breeze, add a thin jacket that blocks wind, such as a windbreaker or light rain jacket. In the 40s, cover your ears too. |
| Below about 40°F | In a real wind, keep an outer layer that blocks wind (many winter jackets do). Cover your hands, ears, and neck; in bitter wind, your face too. |
Why a thin jacket? Wind blows through fleece and other breathable layers, and a shell stops it.[1] Full waterproofing matters less and can make you overheat.[2] Any thin jacket that blocks wind works; no need to buy one.
Our guide to running in the cold covers adjusting layers as you warm up.
Run by Effort, Not Pace
Into the wind, you'll be slower at the same effort, and that's fine. Keep the effort you'd run on a still day and let the pace go. The talk test from our first-run guide is a quick check.
Keep your usual walk breaks, and take one sooner into a hard headwind if you need it. With the wind behind you, don't push harder to make up time. A slight forward lean helps into the wind.
Start Into the Wind
On an out-and-back, start running into the wind, so it's at your back on the way home, when you're sweaty and a headwind would chill you.[3]
On a loop, go the way that puts the stretch into the wind first. On a hot day you can flip it, so the breeze is in your face on the way back, when it feels best.
If you can, run the into-the-wind stretch on streets with trees or buildings, which feel calmer than open fields and waterfronts, though gaps between tall buildings can gust.
When the Wind Picks Up, Eases, or Gusts
- Calm now, windy later: Dress for the windiest stretch. On a cool day, bring the thin jacket even if it's calm at the door.
- Windy now and easing: Once the wind drops, or once you've warmed up with it at your back, open the jacket.
- Gusts: A forecast gives a steady wind and gusts, the short bursts on top of it.[4] The steady wind slows and chills you; gusts push you around for a moment, most at corners and on bridges. Shorten your stride and keep your shoulders loose there.
If the wind picks up later, an earlier start may be calmer; see our guide to the best time to run today.
Let RunOutNow Read the Wind for Your Whole Run
RunOutNow reads the wind for the whole window you'll be outside:
- The wind: Its speed now in mph with a plain word, such as "Moderate," and gust words, such as "strong gusts."
- Which way it blows: A label such as "Wind from the northwest" shows the direction, with a tip to start into it.
- What to wear: On a cool day, if it gets windy at any point in your window, the outfit adds a "windbreaker."
- What's coming: Choose a 2- or 3-hour window and it also tells you whether the wind "picks up by the end" or "eases by the end."
Current weather and outfit advice work without an account.
How Windy Is Too Windy to Run?
Windy isn't the same as too windy, and there's no mph number. Run in any rain, wind, or cold unless the temperature is below −13°F (−25°C), the wind is strong enough to knock you off your feet, or the rain has left no solid ground to run on.
RunOutNow does not guarantee safety. Check the tips in the app before you go out, then use your own judgment and common sense. The app's own timed warnings, such as thunderstorms or freezing rain, are among those tips.
Common Questions
Is 20 mph wind strong for running?
You'll feel it: slower into it, quicker with it behind you, and nudged by gusts. Whether it's too windy isn't a number; see how windy is too windy.
Does a tailwind make up for a headwind?
Not fully. A windy out-and-back runs slower than the same route on a calm day, so judge windy runs by effort, not time.[5]
What if it's windy and raining?
If it's below about 70°F, one light rain jacket handles both; when it's warmer, you can skip it.
Does the wind help keep you cool?
Into or across the wind, you'll feel cooler. With it behind you, the air can feel still, so on hot days, finish into the wind.
Your next step: On your next windy day, check the wind's direction in RunOutNow, head out into it, add a thin jacket if it's cool, and run the effort, not the pace.