How to Take Advantage of Tracksmith's "PR Bonus" Program

If you’re familiar with Tracksmith, you know the running brand loves itself some amateurs. For the last 10 years, the Boston label has championed the running community’s true backbone, hosting weekly workouts and long runs from Back Bay’s 285 Newbury Street, setting aside grants for runner-artists, and helping college athletes transition to professional life.

I don’t doubt that this is a smart strategy for getting customers to buy more shorts and shirts, but at the same time, it can make a tangible difference when a brand is this inclusive and innovative. It encourages runners to keep going, to see their efforts as worthy endeavors, no matter their age or talent level. That’s good stewardship, plain and simple.

Tracksmith’s latest amateur-geared initiative is the PR Bonus program, which seeks to recognize and reward everyday runners who set a new personal best. How does it work? We get into it below.

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The Tracksmith PR Bonus

Pretty simple conceit here: If you set a new PR in a track-and-field or standard distance running event, you’ll receive an email with a code for $100 off your next Tracksmith purchase. The promotion is live through the end of April.

The list of eligible events is extensive — everything from the 5K to the 60-meter dash to the shot put — so chances are that whatever you’re currently gunning for will qualify. You just need to make sure your effort occurs in the remaining time window and during an official meet (just uploading a track time trial to Strava won’t cut it!).

That second requirement isn’t just to ensure accuracy on the reporting of PRs, it also encourages athletes to support local race operators and to continue to interact with the community.

While this initiative has been “live” since January 1 (apologies for the late notice), I’d say there’s plenty of time to prepare for a spring race or track meet. A single decimal point is enough to earn you the PR, and $100 of free Tracksmith stuff. The former is why us amateurs keep showing up anyway, isn’t it?

One note for those who are 40 or older: you qualify for the Masters age groups, broken into five-year age gaps. So, if you run a mile at age 45, you only have to beat your best result from 40 or older…don’t fret about racing your 27-year-old self.

To find a race in the next five weeks, head to Running Race Finder. There are a frankly absurd number of events going down on any given weekend — you’ll be surprised. In the meantime, take advantage of the warmer weather to build on your aerobic base with some speed-work. Think of it as a mini “season” and let the challenge shake up your running routine.

But please, remember to take it easy if something isn’t feeling right. An injury isn’t worth a Tracksmith gift card, no matter how nice those Session Shorts are.