Show Me the Money

The stadium blanket participants received at the 2011 race.

I don't get bonus points for using the famous line from Jerry Maguire, "Show me the money," because Fleet Feet Sports Chicago said it first. But they couldn't be more spot on in using it to incite and excite runners to register for one of the city's favorite races, the Soldier Field 10 Mile. I'm psyched and I'm already registered (so what if part of that excitement stems from my inability to run the 10-miler last year). Sure, the race is still a month away, 29 days and counting to be exact, but it is all about football this weekend. With the NFL draft happening Thursday, April 26, to Saturday, April 28, Fleet Feet is using the time to offer a signing bonus promotion that rewards savings to participants who get their friends, family and coworkers to register during the next four days for this year's Soldier Field 10 Mile. And indeed, you will be shown the money.

Here's how it works:

• Registered participants in the 2012 Soldier Field 10 received an email today detailing the "draft."
• In that email, participants received a link that could be shared with friends and family who might want to register for the race. You can try my link but Fleet Feet was kind enough to offer me an entry back on opening day so I won't be reaping any benefits, unless I somehow could give the money to Salute, Inc., one of the race's beneficiaries.
• When someone uses your link to register for the May 26 race, you'll receive a "signing bonus" on the credit card that you used to register for the race way back when.
• The earlier your team registers, the more money you can recoup from your race registration. On Thursday, it's $15 per registration; on Friday, it's $10 per registration; on Saturday, it's $5 per registration; and on Sunday, it's $5 per registration.

Need a selling point for your Chicago friends? I have some: You still have plenty of time to train for 10 miles. And for anyone who's now wondering why they signed up for Saturday's Lakefront 10, another 10-mile favorite in the Windy City, you can run the Lakefront on whatever mileage you already have stored in your legs and then plan to better that time next month. Hmm, maybe that means I should take my own advice.