Race-day weather · Sunday, October 18, 2026

Columbus Marathon weather.

The forecast for Sunday, October 18, 2026: 34°F with a 32°F dew point at the 7:30am start, a combined score of 66. By 10:30am it reaches 80. Areas of frost at the start with a SE wind at 1 mph. For a 3:30 runner in the first wave, that needs no pace adjustment. Here is every goal time and pace adjusted, and how I’d race it.

66 Combined score
at the start Forecast: 34°F air + 32°F dew point at the 7:30am start. No adjustment needed at the start. National Weather Service forecast issued Thu Oct 15, 4pm EDT.
Start · 7:30am6634° air · 32° dew pointAreas of frost · SE wind 1 mph
+2 hours · 9:30am7239° air · 33° dew pointSunny · SE wind 2 mph
+4 hours · 11:30am8650° air · 36° dew pointSunny · SE wind 3 mph

Your goal pace, adjusted for the forecast

Find your cool-weather goal on the left. Each cell gives the adjusted finish time and the pace per mile to run instead, averaged across the hours you’ll actually be running.

Goal on a cool dayAdjusted finish
2:456:18/miNo changescore 71
3:006:52/miNo changescore 71
3:157:26/miNo changescore 73
3:308:01/miNo changescore 74
3:458:35/miNo changescore 74
4:009:09/miNo changescore 74
4:3010:18/miNo changescore 77
5:0011:27/miNo changescore 77
How I’d race it

Race the plan as written. This is the weather marathons are built for, and the only real risk is going out too fast because the first miles feel free. Hold goal pace through halfway and let the second half decide itself.

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Columbus Marathon weather history: every race morning since 2000

Every row in the table below is a measurement from the John Glenn Columbus International weather station, taken nearest 7:30am (today’s first-wave start) and again three hours later. Start times have moved over the years, so treat 7:30am as a clock time, not always the gun. Across 25 race mornings:

  • A typical 7:30am reading is 42°F with a 37°F dew point, a combined score of 79.
  • The warmest was 2025: 69°F with a 60°F dew point at 7:30am, a score of 129.
  • The most humid was 2017, with a 66°F dew point.
  • The coldest was 2015, at 31°F.
  • On 3 of 25 race mornings the 7:30am score was above 100, enough to call for a pace adjustment. Three hours later, 6 of 25 were.
  • The weather changed the race itself in 2025 (start delayed 15 minutes by rain and wind).
  • The windiest start was 2023: NNW wind at 15 mph.
  • Rain fell in the first 5 hours on 1 of 25 race mornings. The most rain measured was 0.47 inches, in 2025.
Columbus Marathon weather by year · air / dew point (°F), combined score, wind and rain
YearDateAir / dew at 7:30amScoreAir / dew at 10:30amScoreWind at 7:30amRain
2025Oct 19Start delayed 15 minutes by rain and wind69° / 60°12964° / 61°125S 14 mphgusts 310.47 in
2024Oct 2039° / 38°7756° / 43°99CalmDry
2023Oct 1549° / 47°9652° / 46°98NNW 15 mphDry
2022Oct 1644° / 36°8054° / 36°90S 5 mphDry
2021Oct 1746° / 37°8356° / 39°95W 9 mphDry
2020–Cancelled (COVID-19)
2019Oct 2052° / 45°9762° / 47°109CalmDry
2018Oct 2137° / 23°6039° / 25°64NW 13 mphDry
2017Oct 1568° / 66°13472° / 66°138SSW 13 mphDry
2016Oct 1661° / 59°12070° / 60°130SSW 7 mphDry
2015Oct 1831° / 27°5844° / 28°72S 3 mphDry
2014Oct 1941° / 37°7847° / 35°82NNW 5 mphDry
2013Oct 2038° / 34°7249° / 39°88S 5 mphDry
2012Oct 2137° / 36°7348° / 43°91CalmDry
2011Oct 1651° / 41°9256° / 41°97S 7 mphDry
2010Oct 1744° / 39°8359° / 41°100SSE 3 mphDry
2009Oct 1833° / 29°6245° / 29°74N 7 mphDry
2008Oct 1939° / 29°6850° / 32°82CalmDry
2007Oct 2153° / 40°9366° / 42°108SE 3 mphDry
2006Oct 1532° / 27°5945° / 31°76SSE 3 mphDry
2005Oct 1645° / 38°8354° / 41°95WNW 7 mphDry
2004Oct 1737° / 29°6645° / 28°73SW 13 mphDry
2003Oct 1942° / 41°8354° / 46°100CalmDry
2002Oct 2033° / 32°6544° / 37°81CalmDry
2001Oct 2152° / 48°10062° / 51°113S 7 mphDry
2000Oct 2934° / 33°6747° / 37°84NNE 6 mphDry

Readings from the John Glenn Columbus International ASOS weather station (NOAA/FAA, via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet), the observation nearest each hour. Scores above 100 call for a pace adjustment. Rain is the total the station measured in the 5 hours after 7:30am. Download every hour as a CSV.

How the score works

Add the air temperature to the dew point, both in Fahrenheit. That combined score is closer to what your body feels than the temperature alone, because dew point decides whether your sweat can evaporate, and evaporating sweat is how you shed heat at race pace. The bands below are the same ones my heat pace calculator uses, and that page has the full chart and the physiology behind it.

Combined score → how much to slow down
  • 100 or lessNo pace adjustment
  • 101 – 1100% to 0.5% slower
  • 111 – 1200.5% to 1% slower
  • 121 – 1301% to 2% slower
  • 131 – 1402% to 3% slower
  • 141 – 1503% to 4.5% slower
  • 151 – 1604.5% to 6% slower
  • 161 – 1706% to 8% slower
  • 171 – 1808% to 10% slower
  • Above 180Hard running is not recommended

The bands are a coach's rule of thumb, not a lab measurement. Treat each range as a starting point and let effort make the final call.

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Other race-day weather pages

Twin Cities MarathonSunday, October 4, 202695Race day at the startNo adjustment needed Chicago MarathonSunday, October 11, 2026113Race day at the startSlight penalty: 0.5% to 1% slower Detroit MarathonSunday, October 18, 202673Forecast at the startNo adjustment needed Marine Corps MarathonSunday, October 25, 202694Typical startNo adjustment needed NYC MarathonSunday, November 1, 202683Typical startNo adjustment needed Philadelphia MarathonSunday, November 22, 202673Typical startNo adjustment needed California International MarathonSunday, December 6, 202683Typical startNo adjustment needed Honolulu MarathonSunday, December 13, 2026136Typical startReal penalty: 2% to 3% slower Houston MarathonSunday, January 17, 202784Typical startNo adjustment needed LA MarathonSunday, March 7, 202799Typical startNo adjustment needed Boston MarathonMonday, April 19, 202784Typical startNo adjustment needed Grandma's MarathonSaturday, June 19, 2027112Typical startSlight penalty: 0.5% to 1% slower

All race-day weather pages

RunFitCoach is not affiliated with the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon or its organizers. Forecasts from the National Weather Service. Observations from the John Glenn Columbus International ASOS station (NOAA/FAA) via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Data updated Thursday, October 15, 2026.

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