PUMA’s Project3 is back, and this time, it’s headed to New York.
Following successful runs at the Boston and London Marathons earlier this year, the brand announced this week that its Project3 initiative will return for the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon.
The program, which gives sub-elite runners a taste of life as a pro, complete with coaching, new tech, and performance-based cash prizes, is accepting 100 new participants for the November 2 race.
Project3 made its debut earlier this year as a global-first program aimed squarely at competitive amateur marathoners.
Runners were given early access to PUMA’s Fast-R NITRO Elite 3 super shoe and support from the brand’s elite athlete team, but most notably, the chance to earn real money based on performance.
Finish with a personal best (by three minutes or more) and you’d pocket $3,000. Be the fastest overall or notch the biggest improvement among Project3 runners? That’s another $3,000 each.
Several runners at Boston and London managed to sweep all three performance bonuses, including Great Britain’s Lucy Jones, who finished first in the London mass-participation field with a time of 2:30:23, improving her previous best by a staggering 22 minutes. She walked away with $9,000 in prize money.
In total, more than 180 Project3 participants crossed the finish lines in Boston and London, with 69 runners breaking their PBs by over three minutes. Forty-one athletes earned a combined $132,000 in prize money, according to PUMA.
Now, the brand is looking to replicate that buzz in New York. Applications for the 2025 program are open until August 6, and the requirements are clear, runners must already be entered in the 2025 NYC Marathon and have an existing personal best of 3:10 or faster.
Accepted athletes will receive PUMA gear, including the carbon-plated Fast-R NITRO Elite 3, a lightweight, high-stacked racer that’s been turning heads on both amateur and professional start lines.
They’ll also gain access to training resources, PUMA coaches, and, of course, that dangling performance payout.
At stake once again is up to $9,000 in prize money per athlete, awarded across five categories, fastest male and female, biggest male and female time improvement, and a $3,000 bonus for anyone who beats their PR by at least three minutes.
The NYC edition of Project3 continues what’s quickly becoming a signature move from PUMA, investing not just in the front of the pack, but in the middle miles too.
While programs like Tracksmith’s Amateur Support and Bandit’s Unsponsored Project have tapped into similar themes, PUMA’s approach adds real money, pro-level access, and global scale, all under the marketing muscle of a major brand.
And it seems to be working. At both Boston and London, the front packs were flooded with PUMA kits and Fast-R 3s, offering a visible, head-to-toe brand presence that money alone couldn’t buy.
If Project3’s NYC chapter plays out like its spring editions, expect more big PRs, more carbon-plated breakthroughs, and more stories of everyday runners getting the star treatment, and maybe a check to match.
Applications for the NYC Marathon edition of Project3 close at 11:59 p.m. EST on August 6.
Apply at: www.puma-project3.com
