Up until the Boston Marathon 2023, I have always taken part in the big BAA or NYRR 5k races taking place around marathon weekend. Last year, I bucked that trend and opted for some of the free brand activations and shakeout runs which I talked about in my Boston Marathon 2023 Shakeout Runs post.

This year, I decided to do the same as those shakeouts and group runs last year were two of the highlights of my marathon weekend. The difference this year was I was heading down to Newbury Street which is where a large number of brands have their popup stores. I planned to run the Tracksmith Morning Shakeout Run on Saturday and the Rabbit Shakeout with Kofuzi on Sunday.

Tracksmith Morning Shakeout Run – Sat 13th April:

After rushing thinking I was going to be late for the 9am shakeout, I ended up getting to Tracksmith early and the run didn’t actually set off until 9:20am anyway so I rushed for nothing but at least I was able to go into the lounge and grab a coffee and chill for a while before the run.

I have seen posts and photos on Instagram of these Tracksmith (and other brands) shakeouts with the masses gathering outside the store and the run leader on the steps with a megaphone. Today was exactly that, there was a big crowd here for this run, all waiting in the warm spring Boston sun.

There was a choice of two distances, a 3 mile loop, which I chose, or a slightly longer 5 mile loop. Both take the same route along the Charles river before the longer route does a little loop back to join the shorter route.

I enjoyed the run, it was a nice relaxed pace with Tracksmith pacers dotted throughout the group to ensure that everyone knew where they were going no matter what pace they were running at.

Once back at the Track House I got suckered in and bought a Tracksmith top, this is why they put on these free shakeouts, to bring the crowds into the store and I was no exception.

Rabbit Shakeout Run – Sun 14th April:

Following on from yesterday’s run from Tracksmith, today I was heading out with Rabbit for a Shakeout lead by Kofuzi. The Rabbit popup was 4 stores down from Tracksmith with Asics in between, who had their own huge shakeout with the Believe in the Run group.

I thought the Tracksmith group was big yesterday but Rabbit felt bigger, no doubt influenced by having Kofuzi on hosting the run.

The pace was more sedate today, the sheer number of runners meant it was congested but nobody wants to win the shakeout the day before race day, right? Today was a 2.4 mile run out to the Charles, along the river bank, and turn back to the store. They didn’t have the pacers in the group (that I know of) like Tracksmith yesterday so I saw a few groups going off and taking different routes back. I guess as long as you get from A-B, the route in between doesn’t matter.

Before the run, I bumped into Matt Choi and Kofuzi so I grabbed a selfie and had a chat with them. Matt is also running the Boston & London double this week and Kofuzi is running London next week having run Boston last year.