PUMA Chased the (Runner's) High in Boston This Weekend
When PUMA asked us if we wanted to go out and get high, our answer was always going to be ‘heck, yes’! This past weekend was the 129th Boston Marathon and Sneaker Freaker were on the ground with the Big Cat, who was looking ferocious in their fresh-faced Fast-R NITRO Elite 3. The latest addition to the Fast-R NITRO Elite franchise promises to be the fastest yet and shave minutes off race day records. That’s not just a marketing play either, as the sneak’s performance was backed by research at the University of Michigan and many of their Boston Marathon star runners smashed their PEs to smithereens.
‘The most striking result from this study was the consistency of the running economy improvements,’ said Wouter Hoogkamer, biometrics and energetics of running specialist at UMich. ‘For every single participant the numbers showed that running was easiest – requiring the least amount of metabolic energy – in the Fast-R 3. This is remarkable. From years of research we know that our lab-measured improvements in running energetics translate to faster race times.’
In the weekend leading up to the legendary Boston marathon, PUMA took over the city with activations all around Beantown. The hub was ‘The High Point’, which was located only metres from the finish line and was an immersive experience that helped attendees get that legendary runner's high. It was also the place to cop the speedy Fast-R NITRO Elite 3 before anyone else and saw the unveiling of PUMA’s ‘Go Wild’ campaign. You could also witness the running economy test by UMich in real-time at the dedicated NITRO Lab and find out how much time you can shave off your PB with the Elite 3. Everyone who participated across the activities at ‘The High Point’ was rewarded with special tokens they could cash in at a candy station curated by Boston institution Madeline’s Candy Shop.
You best believe we witnessed plenty of individuals get as high as a kite throughout the weekend, from morning shake out runs, the brand’s first unsanctioned run, and of course, the marathon itself. The continuation of PUMA’s Project3 was an anticipated part of the Boston weekend and updates have now been shared. Out of the 90 Project3 participants, 30 raced to their new PBs. Of those, 15 runners broke their records by over three minutes, making them eligible for a taste of PUMA's massive cash prize. The next Project3 update will be in London this coming weekend, so stay tuned here to stay updated. The Big Cat got its claws out for their first-ever unsanctioned run aptly dubbed ‘Chase The High’. Over 50 runners from four continents took to the streets of Boston with the task to plan a route between Go Wild checkpoints stationed at iconic landmarks in Beantown where they had to collect a marker. Once all three markers were collected, the runners had to race back to the ‘The High Point’, with winners claiming a years' worth of running gear including the Fast-R NITRO Elite 3.
What a whirlwind the 129th Boston Marathon was, but the season is only just beginning and we’re already geared up for London to round out this April!
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