diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/pipelinerun_types.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/pipelinerun_types.go
index 6e9823ee67b..35e3910d40c 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/pipelinerun_types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/pipelinerun_types.go
@@ -220,6 +220,38 @@ type PipelineRunStatus struct {
 	PipelineRunStatusFields `json:",inline"`
 }
 
+type PipelineRunSucceededReason string
+
+const (
+	// PipelineRunSucceededStartedReason is the reason set when the PipelineRun has just started
+	PipelineRunSucceededStartedReason PipelineRunSucceededReason = "Started"
+	// PipelineRunSucceededRunningReason is the reason set when the PipelineRun is running
+	PipelineRunSucceededRunningReason PipelineRunSucceededReason = "Running"
+	// PipelineRunSucceededSuccessfulReason is the reason set when the PipelineRun completed successfully
+	PipelineRunSucceededSuccessfulReason PipelineRunSucceededReason = "Succeeded"
+	// PipelineRunSucceededFailedReason is the reason set when the PipelineRun completed with a failure
+	PipelineRunSucceededFailedReason PipelineRunSucceededReason = "Failed"
+	// PipelineRunSucceededCompletedReason is the reason set when the PipelineRun completed successfully with one or more skipped Tasks
+	PipelineRunSucceededCompletedReason PipelineRunSucceededReason = "Completed"
+)
+
+func (t PipelineRunSucceededReason) String() string {
+	return string(t)
+}
+
+// GetStartedReason returns the reason set to the "Succeeded" condition when
+// InitializeConditions is invoked
+func (pr *PipelineRunStatus) GetStartedReason() string {
+	return PipelineRunSucceededStartedReason.String()
+}
+
+// GetRunningReason returns the reason set to the "Succeeded" condition when
+// the RunsToCompletion starts running. This is used indicate that the resource
+// could be validated is starting to perform its job.
+func (pr *PipelineRunStatus) GetRunningReason() string {
+	return PipelineRunSucceededRunningReason.String()
+}
+
 var pipelineRunCondSet = apis.NewBatchConditionSet()
 
 // GetCondition returns the Condition matching the given type.
diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/run_interface.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/run_interface.go
index ddaf2ffb979..325ccc36c9e 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/run_interface.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/run_interface.go
@@ -23,20 +23,59 @@ import (
 
 // RunsToCompletionStatus is implemented by TaskRun.Status and PipelineRun.Status
 type RunsToCompletionStatus interface {
+
+	// GetCondition returns the Condition for the specified ConditionType
 	GetCondition(t apis.ConditionType) *apis.Condition
+
+	// InitializeConditions is used to set up the initial conditions for the
+	// RunsToCompletion  when it's initially started
 	InitializeConditions()
+
+	// SetCondition is used to set up a conditions for the specified ConditionType
 	SetCondition(newCond *apis.Condition)
+
+	// GetStartedReason returns the reason set to the "Succeeded" condition when
+	// InitializeConditions is invoked. This reason is only used combined to the
+	// value corev1.ConditionUnknown.
+	GetStartedReason() string
+
+	// GetRunningReason returns the reason set to the "Succeeded" condition when
+	// the RunsToCompletion starts running. This is used indicate that the resource
+	// could be validated is starting to perform its job. This reason is only used
+	// combined to the value corev1.ConditionUnknown.
+	GetRunningReason() string
 }
 
 // RunsToCompletion is implemented by TaskRun and PipelineRun
 type RunsToCompletion interface {
+
+	// GetTypeMeta returns the TypeMeta
 	GetTypeMeta() *metav1.TypeMeta
+
+	// GetObjectMeta returns the ObjectMeta
 	GetObjectMeta() *metav1.ObjectMeta
+
+	// GetOwnerReference returns the RunsToCompletion as owner reference for any related object
 	GetOwnerReference() metav1.OwnerReference
+
+	// GetStatus returns the status as RunsToCompletionStatus
 	GetStatus() RunsToCompletionStatus
+
+	// IsDone returns true once the reconcile work on the resource is complete
+	// except for postrun actions (stop timeout timer, emit events, record metrics)
 	IsDone() bool
+
+	// HasStarted returns true after the RunsToCompletion has been reconciled for
+	// the first time. It must be true after InitializeConditions has been invoked
+	// on the associated RunsToCompletionStatus
 	HasStarted() bool
+
+	// IsCancelled returns true if the user marked the RunsToCompletion for cancellation
 	IsCancelled() bool
+
+	// HasTimedOut returns true once the RunsToCompletion has passed its maximum run time
 	HasTimedOut() bool
+
+	// GetRunKey returns the RunsToCompletion keuy which is equeued in the controller queue
 	GetRunKey() string
 }
diff --git a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/taskrun_types.go b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/taskrun_types.go
index 3e52a29054d..3b1708946b3 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/taskrun_types.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/pipeline/v1beta1/taskrun_types.go
@@ -102,6 +102,39 @@ type TaskRunStatus struct {
 	TaskRunStatusFields `json:",inline"`
 }
 
+// TaskRunSucceededReason is an enum used to store all TaskRun reason for
+// the Succeeded condition that are controlled by the TaskRun itself. Failure
+// reasons that emerge from underlying resources are not included here
+type TaskRunSucceededReason string
+
+const (
+	// TaskRunSucceededStartedReason is the reason set when the TaskRun has just started
+	TaskRunSucceededStartedReason TaskRunSucceededReason = "Started"
+	// TaskRunSucceededRunningReason is the reason set when the TaskRun is running
+	TaskRunSucceededRunningReason TaskRunSucceededReason = "Running"
+	// TaskRunSucceededSuccessfulReason is the reason set when the TaskRun completed successfully
+	TaskRunSucceededSuccessfulReason TaskRunSucceededReason = "Succeeded"
+	// TaskRunSucceededFailedReason is the reason set when the TaskRun completed with a failure
+	TaskRunSucceededFailedReason TaskRunSucceededReason = "Failed"
+)
+
+func (t TaskRunSucceededReason) String() string {
+	return string(t)
+}
+
+// GetStartedReason returns the reason set to the "Succeeded" condition when
+// InitializeConditions is invoked
+func (trs *TaskRunStatus) GetStartedReason() string {
+	return TaskRunSucceededStartedReason.String()
+}
+
+// GetRunningReason returns the reason set to the "Succeeded" condition when
+// the RunsToCompletion starts running. This is used indicate that the resource
+// could be validated is starting to perform its job.
+func (trs *TaskRunStatus) GetRunningReason() string {
+	return TaskRunSucceededRunningReason.String()
+}
+
 // MarkResourceNotConvertible adds a Warning-severity condition to the resource noting
 // that it cannot be converted to a higher version.
 func (trs *TaskRunStatus) MarkResourceNotConvertible(err *CannotConvertError) {
@@ -211,7 +244,12 @@ func (trs *TaskRunStatus) InitializeConditions() {
 	if trs.StartTime.IsZero() {
 		trs.StartTime = &metav1.Time{Time: time.Now()}
 	}
-	taskRunCondSet.Manage(trs).InitializeConditions()
+	conditionManager := taskRunCondSet.Manage(trs)
+	conditionManager.InitializeConditions()
+	// Ensure the started reason is set for the "Succeeded" condition
+	initialCondition := conditionManager.GetCondition(apis.ConditionSucceeded)
+	initialCondition.Reason = TaskRunSucceededStartedReason.String()
+	conditionManager.SetCondition(*initialCondition)
 }
 
 // SetCondition sets the condition, unsetting previous conditions with the same
diff --git a/pkg/pod/status.go b/pkg/pod/status.go
index 8a372129cf7..fd585946151 100644
--- a/pkg/pod/status.go
+++ b/pkg/pod/status.go
@@ -45,10 +45,6 @@ const (
 	// that taskrun failed runtime validation
 	ReasonFailedValidation = "TaskRunValidationFailed"
 
-	// ReasonRunning indicates that the reason for the inprogress status is that the TaskRun
-	// is just starting to be reconciled
-	ReasonRunning = "Running"
-
 	// ReasonTimedOut indicates that the TaskRun has taken longer than its configured timeout
 	ReasonTimedOut = "TaskRunTimeout"
 
@@ -68,13 +64,6 @@ const (
 	// is that the creation of the pod backing the TaskRun failed
 	ReasonPodCreationFailed = "PodCreationFailed"
 
-	// ReasonSucceeded indicates that the reason for the finished status is that all of the steps
-	// completed successfully
-	ReasonSucceeded = "Succeeded"
-
-	// ReasonFailed indicates that the reason for the failure status is unknown or that one of the steps failed
-	ReasonFailed = "Failed"
-
 	//timeFormat is RFC3339 with millisecond
 	timeFormat = "2006-01-02T15:04:05.000Z07:00"
 )
@@ -114,7 +103,7 @@ func MakeTaskRunStatus(logger *zap.SugaredLogger, tr v1beta1.TaskRun, pod *corev
 		trs.SetCondition(&apis.Condition{
 			Type:    apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 			Status:  corev1.ConditionUnknown,
-			Reason:  ReasonRunning,
+			Reason:  v1beta1.TaskRunSucceededRunningReason.String(),
 			Message: "Not all Steps in the Task have finished executing",
 		})
 	}
@@ -197,14 +186,14 @@ func updateCompletedTaskRun(trs *v1beta1.TaskRunStatus, pod *corev1.Pod) {
 		trs.SetCondition(&apis.Condition{
 			Type:    apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 			Status:  corev1.ConditionFalse,
-			Reason:  ReasonFailed,
+			Reason:  v1beta1.TaskRunSucceededFailedReason.String(),
 			Message: msg,
 		})
 	} else {
 		trs.SetCondition(&apis.Condition{
 			Type:    apis.ConditionSucceeded,
 			Status:  corev1.ConditionTrue,
-			Reason:  ReasonSucceeded,
+			Reason:  v1beta1.TaskRunSucceededSuccessfulReason.String(),
 			Message: "All Steps have completed executing",
 		})
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/reconciler/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go b/pkg/reconciler/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go
index 43d9d621683..232fdbdf306 100644
--- a/pkg/reconciler/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go
+++ b/pkg/reconciler/pipelinerun/pipelinerun.go
@@ -94,10 +94,6 @@ const (
 
 	// pipelineRunAgentName defines logging agent name for PipelineRun Controller
 	pipelineRunAgentName = "pipeline-controller"
-
-	// Event reasons
-	eventReasonFailed    = "PipelineRunFailed"
-	eventReasonSucceeded = "PipelineRunSucceeded"
 )
 
 type configStore interface {
@@ -203,7 +199,7 @@ func (c *Reconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, key string) error {
 	default:
 		if err := c.tracker.Track(pr.GetTaskRunRef(), pr); err != nil {
 			c.Logger.Errorf("Failed to create tracker for TaskRuns for PipelineRun %s: %v", pr.Name, err)
-			c.Recorder.Event(pr, corev1.EventTypeWarning, eventReasonFailed, "Failed to create tracker for TaskRuns for PipelineRun")
+			c.Recorder.Event(pr, corev1.EventTypeWarning, v1beta.PipelineRunSucceededFailedReason.String(), "Failed to create tracker for TaskRuns for PipelineRun")
 			return err
 		}
 
@@ -227,7 +223,7 @@ func (c *Reconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, key string) error {
 	if !equality.Semantic.DeepEqual(original.Status, pr.Status) {
 		if _, err := c.updateStatus(pr); err != nil {
 			c.Logger.Warn("Failed to update PipelineRun status", zap.Error(err))
-			c.Recorder.Event(pr, corev1.EventTypeWarning, eventReasonFailed, "PipelineRun failed to update")
+			c.Recorder.Event(pr, corev1.EventTypeWarning, v1beta1.PipelineRunSucceededFailedReason.String(), "PipelineRun failed to update")
 			return multierror.Append(merr, err)
 		}
 		updated = true
@@ -240,7 +236,7 @@ func (c *Reconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, key string) error {
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(original.ObjectMeta.Labels, pr.ObjectMeta.Labels) || !reflect.DeepEqual(original.ObjectMeta.Annotations, pr.ObjectMeta.Annotations) {
 		if _, err := c.updateLabelsAndAnnotations(pr); err != nil {
 			c.Logger.Warn("Failed to update PipelineRun labels/annotations", zap.Error(err))
-			c.Recorder.Event(pr, corev1.EventTypeWarning, eventReasonFailed, "PipelineRun failed to update labels/annotations")
+			c.Recorder.Event(pr, corev1.EventTypeWarning, v1beta1.PipelineRunSucceededFailedReason.String(), "PipelineRun failed to update labels/annotations")
 			return multierror.Append(merr, err)
 		}
 		updated = true
@@ -533,7 +529,7 @@ func (c *Reconciler) reconcile(ctx context.Context, pr *v1beta1.PipelineRun) err
 
 	if pipelineState.IsDone() && pr.IsDone() {
 		c.timeoutHandler.Release(pr)
-		c.Recorder.Event(pr, corev1.EventTypeNormal, eventReasonSucceeded, "PipelineRun completed successfully.")
+		c.Recorder.Event(pr, corev1.EventTypeNormal, v1beta1.PipelineRunSucceededSuccessfulReason.String(), "PipelineRun completed successfully.")
 		return nil
 	}