LONDON, April 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

PUMA will pay out a stunning $171,000 in prize money after its Project3 runners delivered show-stopping performances at the London Marathon.

Following a hugely successful launch last year, and a record-breaking payout of $63,000 at last week's Boston Marathon, Project3 returned to London and delivered the goods yet again for sub-elite runners.

In total, 176 participants from 16 countries raced across the capital city wearing PUMA's Fast-R NITRO™ Elite 3 or Deviate NITRO™ Elite 4 as part of the ground-breaking running programme.

Of the total group, 84 runners secured a new personal best, with 54 smashing their previous record time by over 3 minutes, meaning they each secured a $3,000 performance-based prize from PUMA – more than is awarded to the top 3 elite runners.

With an unprecedented number of achievements, it was Chris Perry who finished as the first male (2:13:41) with a PB improvement by more than a minute. The fastest female runner was Katrina Ballantyne-Chalmers (2:35:32) who also beat her previous PB. The biggest time improvement was Carina Li who knocked a total of 19 minutes and 48 seconds off her PB.

Speaking at The NITRO™ Lab after the race, Katrina Ballantyne-Chalmers said: “Being part of Project3 has been amazing. There's been such a great sense of community - engaging with the other athletes, as well as getting support and mentorship from PUMA. I wasn't expecting to be the first female finisher so it feels a bit surreal right now. The encouragement from the crowd today really helped to push me on – what a day!”

In total, Project3 runners collectively knocked a stunning 6 hours, 21 minutes and 55 seconds off their previous records in what is the biggest time improvement ever recorded for the programme.

The record-breaking totals mean that PUMA has now paid out almost a quarter of a million dollars to Project3 runners in 2026. Since launch the program has now hosted over 600 runners paying out almost $400,000 in prize money.

Keep up to date with all the latest PUMA running news and future Project3 announcements by following @pumarunning on Instagram.

Imagery: here

For more information, please visit: www.puma.com

Media Contact: Stefan.Popovic@puma.com / Sarah.Fuller@puma.com

PUMA

PUMA is one of the world's leading sports brands, designing, developing, and selling footwear, apparel and accessories. Founded in 1948, PUMA helps the world's best athletes and teams perform at their best with its innovative products. Known for its iconic cat logo and the Formstrip, the company offers performance products in categories such as Football, Running and Training. Its Sportstyle collections are rooted in sports and inspire consumers by celebrating sports culture. With its long history and strong heritage, PUMA is proud of having one of the strongest archives in the industry, with many iconic products such as the Suede and the Speedcat. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and stichd. The company distributes its products in over 120 countries, employs more than 20,000 people and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany. For more information, please visit https://about.puma.com.

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