The Black Core Tracksuit is £149.99 for a windrunner jacket and a woven pant. That is the headline, and it is the number people stall on. It sits above a generic high street tracksuit and below the premium end of the ASICS tracksuit range and its competitors.
We sell a lot of these. We also sell the pieces separately, which gives us a reasonably clear picture of what people actually do once they have thought about it. This is an honest look at what you get, where the money goes and who should probably buy something else.
Short answer up front: it is worth it if you want a tracksuit you wear out of the house rather than only to the gym, and if black is the colour you wanted anyway. It is not worth it if you only need a jacket, or only need a pant, because buying the pieces separately is barely more expensive and gives you more options.
What you get for £149.99
Two pieces. The Core Windrunner jacket and the Core Woven Pant, both in black, both 100% polyester.
The jacket is water-repellent with a full zip and reflective branding. It is a running shell at heart, so it is light, it packs down, and it does not pretend to be a winter coat. The pant has an elasticated waist with a drawcord and a straight taper through the leg.
Bought separately, the Core Windrunner is £89.99 and the Core Woven Pant is £54.99. That is £144.98 for the same two pieces.
So the set is more expensive than the separates
Yes, by £5.01. We are not going to pretend otherwise.
What the set gets you is a guaranteed colour and fabric match across both pieces and one order rather than two. In practice, if you want both pieces in black, buy whichever is in your size. If you only want one piece, buy that one piece. The maths does not punish you for splitting.
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Windrunner alone | £89.99 | Jacket |
| Woven pant alone | £54.99 | Pant |
| Both as separates | £144.98 | Jacket + pant |
| Core Tracksuit | £149.99 | Jacket + pant |
| Core Tracksuit Tri-Set | £174.99 | Jacket + pant + tee |
The tri-set is where the pricing gets genuinely good. £25 more than the tracksuit for a tee that costs £34.99 on its own as the Black Core T-Shirt. If you are buying the tracksuit anyway and you would wear a plain black ASICS tee, take the tri-set. We go through the difference between the formats in our set vs tracksuit vs tri-set comparison.
The things we like
It does not look like gymwear
This is the real reason it sells. The windrunner cut and the straight-leg woven pant read as sportswear rather than activewear. Worn with a pair of Gel trainers it passes as an outfit, not a kit. That is harder to get right than it sounds, and most tracksuits in this price bracket do not manage it.
Black is the right call for a first tracksuit
Boring, correct. Black hides wear, matches everything, and does not date. We have ranked the colourways elsewhere in ASICS set colourways ranked, and black wins on versatility every time even if it is not the most interesting.
The sizing is honest
True to size in both pieces. Order your normal size and it fits. The only exception is sizing up one on the jacket if you want a hoodie under it, which we explain in the tracksuit sizing guide. Low return rates on this product back that up.
It washes well
Polyester, so it dries fast and holds its shape. No sagging at the knee, no bobbling on the jacket.
The things we would flag
It is not warm
The windrunner is a shell. It blocks wind and sheds light rain. It does not insulate. If you want this as a winter jacket you need something underneath it, which is exactly why the size-up advice exists. Buying it expecting a warm coat will disappoint you.
Polyester feels like polyester
It is quick-dry and water-repellent, and that comes with a slightly technical hand feel. If you want something soft and cottony next to the skin, this is not that. The tee in the tri-set helps because it sits between you and the jacket.
Black on black shows everything
Lint, dust, dog hair. All black polyester does this. Not a fault, just a reality.
£149.99 is a real amount of money
If you are buying your first tracksuit and you are not certain you will wear it weekly, a Core T-Shirt Set at £74.99 is a lower-risk way into the range. Half the money, and you will know within a fortnight whether the fit and the look are for you. Our guide to which ASICS set to buy first goes through that properly.
Who should buy it
Buy the Core Tracksuit if you want a full matching tracksuit in black that works outside the gym, you wear tracksuits regularly, and you want something that will still look right in two years.
Buy the tri-set instead if the extra £25 for a tee is comfortable. It is the best value in the range.
Buy the Windrunner Set at £129.99 if you want shorts rather than a pant. Better for summer, and it still gives you the jacket.
Buy separates if you only need one piece, or if you already own black joggers you are happy with.
Buy something else if you want warmth, or if you want a colour. The ASICS sets collection has the full spread of colourways in the lighter formats.
Verdict
Worth it, with the caveat that the tri-set is better value and the separates are marginally cheaper. The tracksuit itself is well made, honestly sized and genuinely wearable, and £149.99 is a fair price for what arrives. It is not a bargain and it does not need to be.
Free UK delivery on orders over £100 means this one ships free, and orders before 2PM dispatch same day. Klarna and Clearpay are at checkout if you want to spread it.
Prices correct at time of writing.
Quick answers
Is the ASICS Core Tracksuit true to size?
Yes. Order your normal size in both pieces. Size up one on the jacket only if you want a hoodie underneath.
Is it waterproof?
Water-repellent, not waterproof. Fine in a shower, not in sustained rain.
Is the tri-set worth the extra £25?
If you would wear a plain black ASICS tee, yes. The tee is £34.99 bought alone, so you save money.
Does it come in other colours?
The full tracksuit is black. The t-shirt sets come in a much wider range, listed in the sets collection.
What trainers go with it?
Any of the three Gel models. The Gel trainers with sets guide covers which pairs best.