As the weather turned, run shops hosted packed fun runs, launched training programs and prepped for upcoming spring races, including marathons in cities such as Boston, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. They celebrated successes in the indoor track campaign and the arrival of the outdoor season while tossing in April Fool’s Day hijinks to boot.
Running Insight senior writer Danny Smith recaps some lively and noteworthy activities at running stores across the U.S.
Forget mall walkers. How about a mall RUN?
On Feb. 23, Racefaster hosted the inaugural Racefaster through the Mall, a 5K race at the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ (photo above, courtesy Racefaster x Amanda Stevens Photography). The race came weeks after Racefaster debuted a new retail store at the upscale shopping mall.
To pull off the novel event, which he knew he could not approach like the traditional road 5K, Racefaster founder and CEO Aidan Walsh reimagined the entire shebang, from the start/finish area to the lap counters to the water stops.
“It was a real learning experience for me,” Walsh admits.
The sold-out event featured 300 runners completing seven laps around the mall’s upper level and Walsh called the enthusiasm level higher than any other race he has attended or directed. He “absolutely” plans to host the event again next year at Garden State Plaza with hopes of expanding the field’s size.
“Maybe even make it into a winter series,” he says.
Big Sky invites new parents to return to running
Up in Winnipeg, Canada, “Big Sky Babies” helps new moms and dads get back into the running groove. Big Sky Running Co. launched the weekly program upon its opening two years ago. Every Tuesday, about a dozen parents and their children – a number accelerating with warmer weather – assemble at Big Sky to walk and/or run a safe, accessible route before returning to the store for coffee, snacks and little tots’ play time.
“It’s exactly what I wish I had when I was a new mom,” says Caroline Fisher, Big Sky’s owner and the brainchild behind Big Sky Babies.
Fisher says the program promotes Big Sky as a community gathering spot and cultivates loyalty. Over the last two years, numerous participants have “graduated” into other Big Sky training programs and running groups.
“We’ve become their running shop, so when they need gear, they shop here,” Fisher says.
TerraLoco leverages competition to entice track and field visits
The end of March brought a conclusion to the month-long Track & Field Team Competition at TerraLoco in Rochester, MN. Twenty-five local schools participated in the battle to earn their team a $350 check. Student-athletes received a point for their school with every purchase throughout March.
And more from TerraLoco…
Many run shops promote the benefits of “shopping small” – local economic growth, job creation and tax revenue among them. TerraLoco backed it up with numbers.
In a February 28 Instagram post titled “Why Choose Us,” TerraLoco noted that it supported 40-plus nonprofits in 2024, donated more than $18,000 of merchandise locally, spent more than $7000 in sponsorships, donated $7000 through its $5 5Ks and kept more than 800 shoes out of landfills. The numbers bring tangible clarity to one little store’s big impact.
“Now, more than ever, people are voting with their dollars by choosing companies whose values align with their own,” the store wrote in its post-concluding slide. “We aim to be an easy choice for you, by putting our community first and making choices that reflect our commitment to inclusivity, sustainability and whole health.”
A ‘Big Shoe Try On’ in Michigan
On April’s opening weekend, Fleet Feet shops in Northville and Ann Arbor, MI, hosted the Big Shoe Try-On, a free event allowing guests to try on and test the latest shoes and insoles from nine leading brands. About 100 locals participated across the two morning events, earning a passport stamp for each wear test and entry into a raffle for prizes.
“The most challenging part of pulling this together from the store perspective was coordinating vendor schedules early enough in advance and finding a location to host the event,” says Annabelle Smith, marketing director for Fleet Feet South East Michigan, adding that the Northville event was hosted at the retail store while the Ann Arbor event took place at Erratic Ale Co. in nearby Dexter.
Smith says the Big Shoe Try-On was envisioned as a counter to the typical demo group run, which she noted could be “intimidating to some community members and newer runners.” She saw a complete cross section of the community in attendance and reports a “sales boost” directly from the events.
Giving a boost to the local YMCA
The Charlotte Running Company’s Riverwalk location in Rock Hill, SC, recently partnered with the Upper Palmetto YMCA to support the club’s Mission Strong Fund. Mission Strong awards scholarships for kids to attend Camp Cherokee and assists families in financial need with scholarships and memberships as well.
Spotlighting available dogs and cats
A decade ago, Virginia-based Running Etc.’s passion for animals and commitment to community led it to post photos of adoptable pets on its Facebook page – from puppies and kittens to young dogs ready for a run to senior pets in need of a home for their golden years. Many years later, the tradition continues.
Every Monday, Running Etc. features adoptable dogs and cats from shelters and rescues around its Norfolk and Virginia Beach homes, though it also spotlights animals from shelters in North Carolina and the Eastern Shore.
“We know we are making a difference when shelters reach out to us, asking us to feature a dog that has been in the shelter for too long,” Running Etc.’s Pam Robinson says.
When one customer recently visited the store with a dog she adopted after viewing one of Running Etc.’s posts, the store gifted the dog’s owner a Stunt Puppy leash as a thank you.
“Nothing is more rewarding than having a customer bring in their adopted dog,” Robinson says.
Movement in the running retail market
In an interesting coincidence, two existing run shops launched sister stores on March 22 – and both adopted different names for their second outlets. Casey Jermyn, the entrepreneurial force behind Bozeman Running Co., opened a second Montana store in downtown Kalispell, MT, called Flathead Running Co. The team behind Queen Creek Running Company in Queen Creek, AZ, meanwhile, added a second run specialty shop to its portfolio with the opening of Forward Footwear and Fitness in Mesa.
Have a compelling event, project or initiative to propose for a future Running Spirit column? Contact Running Insight senior writer Danny Smith at [email protected] with details. You can also follow Danny on Instagram @runspecialtyinsider.
