
Is it really worth running in the rain? (1987) [pdf] - anacleto
http://www.fisica.uniud.it/~deangeli/rain.pdf
======
j1o1h1n
"Science for more than a half-century has found ways to complicate the matter
..."

Peterson, T. C. and Wallis, T. W. R. (1997), Running in the rain. Weather, 52:
93–96. doi: 10.1002/j.1477-8696.1997.tb06281.x

[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1477-8696.1997....](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1477-8696.1997.tb06281.x/pdf)

    
    
      But all this is model and theory. What about reality? To predict the weather four 
      days in advance you may want to use a model, but to truly determine whether a walker 
      or a runner would get wetter in the rain one can simply conduct an experiment. ... 
      we purchased two identical pairs of hats, sweat shirts and pants, ... Departing 
      at the same time, Dr Wallis ran the lOOm at a velocity of 4.0ms-' while Dr Peterson 
      walked the same distance at 1.4ms-'. The total water absorbed by the walker was 
      0.217kg and by the runner 0.130 kg. 
      Running, therefore, produced a decrease in wetting of 40 per cent.

~~~
delazeur
This calls for follow-up research on how the absorption ratio varies with
distance traveled. Please excuse me while I apply for some grant money.

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Amorymeltzer
Mythbusters actually tested this
([http://mythresults.com/episode38](http://mythresults.com/episode38)), and
LifeHacker showed a little video on it ([http://lifehacker.com/5970476/why-
you-should-run-not-walk-in...](http://lifehacker.com/5970476/why-you-should-
run-not-walk-in-the-rain)).

The real issue, for me, has always been shoes. Most clothing dries fairly
well, but shoes and socks are a tough matter. Besides, if it's unpleasant to
be in, you should run, and if it's pleasant to be in, take your time.

~~~
franciscop
Also in episode 1:

\- [http://mythresults.com/episode1](http://mythresults.com/episode1)

Priorities are clear (;

------
jarmitage
"There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden
shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such
things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are
resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get
the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything."

[https://youtu.be/8XQH-o_KYBI?t=86](https://youtu.be/8XQH-o_KYBI?t=86)

[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165798/quotes](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165798/quotes)

~~~
mbubb
from the Hagakure

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kriro
The main benefit of running is the fact that you reach your destination faster
and have more time to dry. Specifically the thighs (if wearing say jeans)
certainly benefit from the extra time. As pointed out by other posters the
biggest risk at faster speeds is splashing and I'd add the risk of slipping as
well.

The experiment also seems to assume that it'll rain a constant amount. That's
reasonable but if it can be expected that the rain will increase (maybe it
just started), running becomes even better. Conversely if you somehow know it
is more likely to decrease, walking becomes better (as you might even hit a
window where it doesn't rain at all that you'd simply miss by running).

I certainly enjoyed this sentence though:

""" ‘optimal’ solutions, cases in which the experimenter assumes strange
angles with respect to the ground, are not considered, being awkward to obtain
in reality. """

Personally, I find the question of "waiting it out" way more intriguing.
Murphy seems to let the rain continue endlessly whenever I decide to seek
shelter temporarily.

~~~
ricksplat
> The main benefit of running is the fact that you reach your destination
> faster and have more time to dry

Bonus marks for considering ecological validity

------
danhak
I love this work but the entire underlying premise is shaky! It assumes that a
person's discomfort is proportional to the _quantity_ of wetness they
experience rather than the total amount of _time_ spent in wet conditions.

~~~
mmmBacon
In the abstract the author writes:

 _Is it worth running as fast as possible to get less wet?_

So the author is only trying to answer the question of whether you will get
less wet if you run in the rain. He is not making any claims about comfort.
The author's only premise is:

 _The purpose of this paper is to put an end to this kind of useless
argument._

[edit:] clarity

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nvader
I would concur with the article's recommendation of a brisk walk, because when
running in the rain you risk slipping and falling, which puts you contact with
the wet ground, and prolongs the time you spend out in the rain.

~~~
libria
OTOH, in lightning conditions it may be advantageous to move as fast as
possible as a strike may result in significantly prolonged contact with wet
ground.

~~~
kaybe
Concerning thunderstorms, it is usually best to keep an eye on the conditions
and get a decent headstart to outrun them, I think.

------
sohkamyung
Somewhat off-topic but entertaining questions on Rain answered by Randall
Monroe:

\- "What if a rainstorm dropped all of its water in a single giant drop?" [1]

\- "At what speed would you have to drive for rain to shatter your
windshield?" [2]

[1] [https://what-if.xkcd.com/12/](https://what-if.xkcd.com/12/)

[2] [https://what-if.xkcd.com/93/](https://what-if.xkcd.com/93/)

------
DrScump
The title should clarify that this focuses on whether running vs walking
_results in getting fewer raindrops on you_ :

It concludes:

"As suggested by common sense, when it is raining it is better to move fast.
By running faster you get less wet. but the benefit that you get beyond the
speed of a brisk walk does not justify the supplementary effort. "

Personally, I love running in a light rain just for comfort reasons and
(presumably) the negative ions.

~~~
uptownJimmy
Jogging in the rain: that's what I thought the article was about before I
clicked. I love to jog in the rain, as long as it's not too cold and not
raining too hard. It's lovely.

~~~
LeifCarrotson
Same. I also expected to see an interesting discussion in these comments about
improvements in running shoe and clothing technology that make it more
pleasant. The article describes sweatpants, for goodness sake! I can hardly
imagine anything less comfortable to run in!

~~~
elif
I think the best clothing technology for running in the rain has already been
invented, and, in fact pre-dates both clothing and technology. :)

------
tempestn
This is obviously true - you pass through the same amount of water
horizontally on the way to your destination, but there's less time for it to
fall on you vertically. However, the main problem with running in the rain if
you're not careful is that you will spray yourself with water from your shoes.
That may or may not get you wetter, but it could also get your clothes dirty.
I aim for a short of shuffle-jog. :P

------
amk_
I made an interactive calculator of this a while ago, adapted from a BBC
article. You can see it here (interactive equation at the bottom):

[https://alexkrolick.com/rain](https://alexkrolick.com/rain)

Note that it doesn't do oblique angles.

EDIT: I've been meaning to update this with a graph for a while -- the plot in
the article really illustrates the tradeoff between wetness and velocity quite
well.

------
Outdoorsman
The article, at best, seems inconclusive...

I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail years ago...admittedly, I was walking, with
a pack, not running...

If I was within sight of shelter (a rarity) I sometimes trotted, and stayed a
bit dryer...usually I just walked on, smiled, and tried to find things to
enjoy...

One thing I learned was that it didn't matter one whit if I got wet when
hypothermia was not a factor...the only important thing was whether or not,
once I'd enjoyed the rain, I had dry clothes in my pack to change into while I
cooked my supper...

I think we undervalue the good feeling rain falling on us offers...kids
instinctively experience it as something special and dance around in
it...imagine that...

We could re-learn things from them...rain's nothing to fear...

~~~
reddytowns
Good work at finding a way to work in how you thru-hiked the Appalachian Trial
into a posting about rain!

You deserve a pat-on-the-back for the careful and tedious thought required to
join such disparate topics, much like the constant struggle against the
elements you had to face, step by step, and the invaluable rewards you must
have received on your epic journey!

Brave, smart, enlightened... not to get off topic, but what other interesting
qualities do you have, and the stories and wisdom to go with them, oh great
"Outdoorsman"?

Edit: o why the downvote o great master? What thou request of thine?

~~~
PhasmaFelis
You're getting downvoted because you're being snarky and condescending for no
obvious reason. Outdoorsman's post was on-topic and I have no idea why you've
taken offense to it.

~~~
reddytowns
He was obviously bragging about what he did. Normally I wouldn't mind. But
trying to segue from a topic on how to avoid getting wet when going a short
distance through rain to how he trekked the entire Appalachian Trail is just
fucking ridiculous!

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vortico
When running, your body is oblique, reducing the surface area of the impinging
rain. There are so many more factors than what this theoretical paper
considers, but it is a good start. I don't feel the Mythbusters experiment was
valid, since they used simulated rain, only did the experiment once, and
tested only a very small distance. I also feel that making a good TV show gets
in the way of the goal of making a good experiment.

------
hardtke
How has this paper not won an IgNoble prize?

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halotrope
I use to run it order to quicker get some shelter. I did not know it had
positive side effects.

