Dallas Marathon Weather History: From Ice Storm to 68°F
The Dallas Marathon low has ranged from 28°F to 68°F in 24 years, and the 2013 race was canceled for an ice storm. Year-by-year weather and tips.
The Dallas Marathon has been called off once for weather. In December 2013, officials canceled the race on the Friday before the Sunday start, the first cancellation in its history. Twelve years later, in 2025, more than 19,000 runners lined up in freezing temperatures. In between, there were mornings with a 68°F (20°C) low and a dew point above 60°F (16°C).
Our table below covers 24 Dallas Marathon mornings. Across them, the low during race hours ran from 28°F (-2°C) to 68°F (20°C), a 40-degree spread. Here is what that looks like year by year, and how to plan for a start line at 8:00 AM on December 13, 2026.
Dallas Marathon Weather, Year by Year
This is the history from the race page on racecast.io: the low and high during race hours, the rain column, the dew point and our RunScore (10 is the best). It is race-hours weather from nearby stations, not a reading from the start line. The race is run on a Sunday in the first half of December and starts at 8:00 AM.
| Year | Low / High (°F) | Low / High (°C) | Rain | Dew Point | RunScore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30° / 34°F | -1° / 1°C | None | 20°F / -7°C | 9 |
| 2024 | 57° / 68°F | 14° / 20°C | Light | 62°F / 17°C | 5 |
| 2023 | 36° / 49°F | 2° / 9°C | None | 19°F / -7°C | 10 |
| 2022 | 52° / 55°F | 11° / 13°C | None | 51°F / 11°C | 9 |
| 2021 | 35° / 51°F | 2° / 11°C | None | 27°F / -3°C | 10 |
| 2019 | 56° / 69°F | 13° / 21°C | None | 53°F / 12°C | 6 |
| 2018 | 38° / 46°F | 3° / 8°C | None | 33°F / 1°C | 9 |
| 2017 | 38° / 63°F | 3° / 17°C | None | 27°F / -3°C | 10 |
| 2016 | 51° / 65°F | 11° / 18°C | None | 54°F / 12°C | 7 |
| 2015 | 52° / 54°F | 11° / 12°C | Light | 50°F / 10°C | 9 |
| 2014 | 62° / 66°F | 17° / 19°C | None | 60°F / 16°C | 5 |
| 2012 | 68° / 70°F | 20° / 21°C | None | 61°F / 16°C | 4 |
| 2011 | 42° / 43°F | 6° / 6°C | Light | 40°F / 4°C | 8 |
| 2010 | 36° / 46°F | 2° / 8°C | None | 20°F / -7°C | 9 |
| 2009 | 47° / 53°F | 8° / 12°C | None | 47°F / 8°C | 10 |
| 2008 | 66° / 74°F | 19° / 23°C | None | 56°F / 13°C | 4 |
| 2007 | 40° / 46°F | 4° / 8°C | Light | 40°F / 4°C | 9 |
| 2006 | 46° / 50°F | 8° / 10°C | None | 34°F / 1°C | 9 |
| 2005 | 36° / 60°F | 2° / 16°C | None | 25°F / -4°C | 10 |
| 2004 | 46° / 67°F | 8° / 19°C | None | 41°F / 5°C | 8 |
| 2003 | 28° / 52°F | -2° / 11°C | None | 33°F / 1°C | 10 |
| 2002 | 45° / 65°F | 7° / 18°C | None | 46°F / 8°C | 8 |
| 2001 | 32° / 50°F | 0° / 10°C | None | 24°F / -4°C | 10 |
| 2000 | 49° / 64°F | 9° / 18°C | None | 52°F / 11°C | 8 |
The table has no 2013 row (the race was canceled for an ice storm) and no 2020 row (the in-person race was called off).
Each bar is one race morning, from the low to the high during race hours. Same data as the table above.
Across the 24 years in this table, the race-hour low at the Dallas Marathon ran from 28°F (-2°C) to 68°F (20°C). Ten years had a low of 40°F (4°C) or colder and three had a low of 60°F (16°C) or warmer. The average, 45°F (7°C), describes very few actual race mornings.
Why December in Dallas Swings So Much
The race moved to December in 1976 because that date historically offered good marathon weather, according to the race's Wikipedia entry. For most years it has. The average RunScore across our 24 years is 8.2 out of 10, and 14 of the 24 years scored 9 or 10. December is a season of transition in North Texas, though, and the table shows what that means in practice: the same date has produced a 28°F (-2°C) low and a 68°F (20°C) low.
We can't tie each year to a specific weather system, and we won't pretend to. What the numbers do show is that the warm years are not just warm, they are damp. The three years with a dew point of 60°F (16°C) or higher (2012, 2014 and 2024) all scored 4 or 5. Race reports from 2024 describe drizzle, spotty showers and patchy fog at the 8:00 AM start, with a low of 57°F (14°C) and a high of 68°F (20°C) during race hours. Mild temperatures with that much moisture feel heavier than the thermometer says. Our dew point guide explains why.
The cold years go the other way. Dry air goes with the cold years: 2023, 2025 and 2010 had dew points of 19°F to 20°F (about -7°C) and scored 10, 9 and 9 despite chilly mornings.
The three warmest-starting years (2008, 2012 and 2014, with lows of 66°F, 68°F and 62°F, or 19°C, 20°C and 17°C) scored 4, 4 and 5. The coldest years scored 9 or 10. At this race, a warm December morning has cost more than a cold one.
The Worst Weather Years
2013: The Ice Storm
Officials announced the cancellation of the 2013 MetroPCS Dallas Marathon on Friday, December 6, two days before the scheduled 8:00 AM start on December 8, citing the ice storm and the forecast for the weekend. Dallas News reported it was the first time the race, then still known to many as the White Rock Marathon, had ever been canceled. KERA had reported more than 20,000 runners registered from 25 countries. A few runners ran the course on their own that Sunday without bibs or crowds, CBS Texas reported. It is the reason this table has no 2013 row.
2012, 2008 and 2024: Warm and Damp
2012 had a race-hour low of 68°F (20°C) and a high of 70°F (21°C), with a dew point of 61°F (16°C). That low is 23 degrees above the race's average low of 45°F (7°C), and it scored 4. 2008 ran warmer still, with a high of 74°F (23°C), the warmest in our 24 years, also a 4. 2024 was cooler but wetter, with light rain and a 62°F (17°C) dew point, a 5.
2019: A Foggy Warm-Up
Race-day reports from December 15, 2019 describe a foggy start that warmed quickly, and the winner, Aaron Sherf, said he ran conservatively because of the unseasonably warm conditions. Our table has a race-hour low of 56°F (13°C), a high of 69°F (21°C) and a 53°F (12°C) dew point, a RunScore of 6.
2025: The Cold Edge
On December 14, 2025, more than 19,000 runners across the weekend's races braved freezing temperatures, Fox 4 reported. Our table shows a race-hour low of 30°F (-1°C) and a high of 34°F (1°C), the coldest high of any year in the table. A weather archive lists a 29°F (-2°C) start with a 15 mph north wind. The men's marathon winner, Steven Fahy, ran about 2:23 (unofficial). The dew point was 20°F (-7°C), so the air was dry.
The Best Weather Years
Seven of the 24 years scored a RunScore of 10: 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2021 and 2023. The pattern is a low of 28°F to 47°F (-2°C to 8°C), a dry dew point (19°F to 47°F, or -7°C to 8°C) and a high in the 40s, 50s or low 60s.
2006 is the year of the race records. Moses Kororia ran 2:12:04 and Svetlana Ponomarenko ran 2:29:55. The race lists them as race records, not course records. The race-hour low was 46°F (8°C) and the high 50°F (10°C), with a 34°F (1°C) dew point and a RunScore of 9. Dallas News still listed both as the race's records in 2018.
2023 was a clean example of the typical good morning: a low of 36°F (2°C), a high of 49°F (9°C) and a dew point of 19°F (-7°C), a 10. 2017 was similar, with a low of 38°F (3°C) rising to 63°F (17°C). So was the 50th running in 2021: a low of 35°F (2°C), a high of 51°F (11°C) and clear skies.
How to Prepare for a Dallas December
Plan for a wide range, then check the forecast 48 hours out. A low of 28°F (-2°C) and a low of 68°F (20°C) both happened on the same calendar weekend. A forecast from a week out will not settle which race you are running. Our clothing guide breaks down what to wear in each temperature band.
If the start is near freezing, dress for the first hour, not the finish. Ten of 24 years had a race-hour low of 40°F (4°C) or colder. Wear a layer you are willing to toss in the corral: gloves and an old long-sleeve shirt cost almost nothing. See our cold marathon guide.
Expect a big warm-up between the gun and the finish. The average gap between the race-hour low and high is 11°F (6°C), and it reached 25°F (14°C) in 2017 and 24°F (13°C) in 2005 and 2003. A start-line outfit that is right at 8:00 AM can be wrong by the time you reach the lake.
Treat a warm, damp morning as a hot race. When the dew point is 60°F (16°C) or higher, the low is already in the 60s. Back off your goal pace early, take fluids at every station and read our hot marathon guide. The 2012, 2014 and 2024 mornings all scored a 4 or 5 for this reason.
Watch the wind on cold days. The average wind on the race page is 10 mph, and 2025's archive reading was 15 mph from the north on a 29°F (-2°C) start. Wind on a cold morning can turn a manageable 30s start into a harsh one. Our wind guide covers how much it costs.
Have a rain layer ready. Rain showed up as light in 4 of 24 years. A cheap poncho for the corral weighs nothing and keeps you dry until the gun.
More Dallas Marathon Resources
- Dallas Marathon Weather Forecast: See the race-day forecast and pace calculator on racecast.io.
- What to Wear by Temperature: A gear plan for every race-morning band.
- Running a Cold Marathon: How to handle a start near freezing.
- Running a Hot Marathon: Pacing and fluids when a December morning runs warm.
- Dew Point and Marathon Pace: Why a damp morning costs more than the temperature suggests.