PR Night was our first test of whether a Thursday-night run club could support a proper race.
On a summer night in 2025, 109 runners lined up for a chip-timed 5K. The event was small enough to feel personal, but structured enough to feel like a real race.
The 2025 Numbers
Runners: 109
Format: Chip-timed 5K
Heats: 4
Tickets: $30
Prizes: More than $1,500 in value
The price was intentional. We wanted people from the Thursday run, and people who had never heard of The 25th Hour, to be able to take part. The goal was to prove the format before trying to make the next edition larger.
What the Night Looked Like
The athlete village was ready before the first heat. There was a Red Bull finish line, a DJ, cold plunges, pre and post-run chiropractic tables, and a lululemon presence.
Runners warmed up, compared goal times, and found pace partners. Then 109 people set off in four heats.
The race itself was only part of the night. After the finish, people stayed to talk. Runners who had spent the evening chasing a time ended up standing around together for another 30 minutes, and often longer.
That was the part I wanted to protect. The event could have been only a start line, a finish line, and a result. It was better because people had a reason to stay.
Why the Partners Fit
lululemon Ottawa and Red Bull were not added as logos on a backdrop. They were part of the athlete village and the experience around the race. Sporting Life Lansdowne was part of the event's local connection, and the other partners helped runners recover and stay around after their heat.
That is the useful sponsorship lesson from PR Night. The value is not a banner by itself. It is a room full of Ottawa runners who have chosen to spend a summer night racing, talking, and paying attention to what is around them.
What We Learned
109 people was enough to test the idea. We had real timing, real heats, real results, and enough people to create an atmosphere.
The $30 ticket was too low. It helped us fill the first event, but it did not reflect the work, timing, prizes, and athlete village that went into the night.
The social should not be an afterthought. People remember the race, but they also remember who they met around it. That is one reason the event sends people back to the Thursday run.
PR Night 2026
PR Night 2026 is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility in Ottawa.
The target is 250 to 300 runners and roughly 400 people including spectators. The format will keep the parts that worked in 2025, including chip timing, paced heats, and an athlete village, while giving the event more room to operate.
See the current PR Night details and registration information.
The Run That Started It
PR Night happens once a year. The 25th Hour run club meets every Thursday at Sporting Life Lansdowne.
When: Thursdays at 7:00 PM
Distance: 5 to 6 km
Cost: Free
No sign-up is required. Follow @the.25th.hr for the weekly route and reminder.
