Celebrating a Decade! 10

Black Men Run

JASON RUSSELL AND EDWARD WALTON founded Black Men Run after discovering that nearly half of Black men above age 19 have cardiovascular disease. Their antidote: encourage health and wellness among Black men by promoting a culture of running.

Since the group’s inaugural run in Atlanta’s Grant Park a decade ago, Black Men Run has grown to some 7000 members across 55 chapters spanning four countries and three continents. The organization has established partnerships with the likes of Saucony, Vacation Races and Destination Marathons and created a non-profit arm, the aptly named BMR Foundation, supporting initiatives like children’s literacy and men’s mental health.

Deckers Ownership Of Hoka

ONE YEAR AFTER TAKING a minority stake in Hoka, Deckers went all in with Hoka in 2013 when it fully acquired the upstart running shoe brand. Once derided as “clown shoes” for their chunky midsoles and clunky aesthetic, Hoka has become a household name under Deckers’ ownership and earned widespread consumer acceptance with popular models like the Bondi and Clifton as well as innovative new offerings like the commuter-oriented Transport and the recently released Mach X.

Racejoy

RACEJOY, THE RACE DAY mobile app now owned by RunSignup, sprouted from an illtimed bathroom break.

As James Harris competed in an Ironman event in Clermont, FL, his wife, Shelly, and three young daughters cheered for him at different points along the course by estimating his arrival. When the group mistimed James’s finishing time, however, they missed his triumphant run across the finish line. That folly ignited a business idea.

RaceJoy emerged as a better way to connect race participants and spectators. Used more than 1.8 million times at races across the U.S. and by spectators around the world, the app provides real-time tracking of participants’ position, audio messaging to participants and GPS-based progress alerts.

Gnarly

FROM THE ONSET, GNARLY co-founders Eli Kerr and Shannon O’Grady, a PhD in nutritional physiology, have built their brand on transparency, quality, taste and efficacy. And while growing their presence in the specialty run market, they have continued to evolve their brand in tandem.

Gnarly launched new sustainable steel tin packaging, reformulated its Performance Greens product to include even more vitamins, minerals and nutrients and leveraged the results of a nearly 5000-customer poll to create a Limited Edition Flavor series. Gnarly’s first two limited-edition offerings of Hydrate, Salted Margarita and Lemonade dropped in May.

XERO’S SHARK TANK APPEARANCE

Matt Rosetti attributes the success to Brooklyn Running Co.’s authenticity – something personified each August at the lively BKLYN Mile event – as well as the retailer’s long-term approach to brand relationships and an “insane” investment in staff training that includes operation manuals, simulated fits, training modules and secondary education.

The next step in Brooklyn Running Co.’s evolution: creating a content-driven digital presence where the customer experience is every bit as enriching as a visit to one of the company’s two Brooklyn stores.

“Stay tuned,” Rosetti teases.

RUNDetroit

WHEN STEVEN SASHEN AND HIS WIFE, Lena Phoenix, appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2013, they had been in business a pinch over two years with their DIY sandal-making kit.

Though Sashen and Phoenix ultimately turned down a $400,000 offer from “Mr. Wonderful” Kevin O’Leary, Sashen says the show had a profound impact on Xero. It spawned a more focused, committed business, including the development of ready-to-wear sandals and closed-toe shoes. The TV appearance also jumpstarted interest from people frustrated by traditional footwear and yearning for a more natural feel. In fact, Xero did about three months’ worth of business in the week after its episode aired on February 1, 2013, and has experienced year-over-year revenue growth ever since.

“The show has been a great calling card for us in the last 10 years,” Sashen says. “It’s given possible investors and business partners a way to get to know us by seeing how we handled the odd, high-pressure world of reality TV.”

Brooklyn Running Company

WHILE RUNNING across Michigan in the Great Lakes Relay, Justin Craig and Alia Polsgrove hatched the idea for a run specialty store in Detroit. A decade later, RUNdetroit has become a community hub for Detroit runners. The store’s weekly runs regularly attract 80-plus participants and RUNdetroit’s sales floor is an energetic space where runners swap advice and share their athletic adventures.

The first and still only run specialty shop in the Motor City, Craig and Polsgrove recently corralled a bigger retail storefront in the same neighborhood. The new spot, nearly double the size of RUNdetroit’s existing location, features dedicated parking and more room to accommodate RUNdetroit’s lively group runs.

Rock City Running

BILL TORREY OPENED ROCK CITY RUNNING in Little Rock, AR, in 2013 hopeful that he and his team could develop a run specialty shop people could trust to provide comfort and answers to their running and walking questions. A decade later, mission accomplished.

IN A “TASTEMAKER” CITY, Brooklyn Running Co. has achieved “tastemaker” status over the last decade. Owner

Torrey and his crew now begin their second decade in a new Little Rock location after a tornado ripped through and destroyed their original location on March 31. On June 1, Rock City Running opened the doors to its new storefront. Two days later, they had a day-long celebration marking their 10th anniversary.

Confluence Running

IN THE NEW YORK TOWNS OF Binghamton, Corning, Goshen, Lake Placid and Watertown, Confluence Running has emerged as a dynamic community resource over its 10-year run. Confluence provides free community-use space in its buildings, offers its expertise to new race directors and packs its website with running-related information ranging from a list of local running coaches and group runs to gift guides.

Now, the Confluence team led by Matt and Jenna Gawors and regional manager Chris Cowden is focused on innovating. The trio is developing a fit certification program for its staff (and other interested running stores) and creating efficient systems and defined staff roles to sharpen operations.

“After 10 years, the passion is still there,” Matt Gawors says.

Fleet Feet Fort Wayne

RIGHT BEFORE KEVIN AND JEANICE CROY opened their Fleet Feet store in Fort Wayne, IN, in 2013, a national publication had declared Fort Wayne the fattest city in America. In the decade since, the Croys and their staff have worked to make Fort Wayne an active, healthier community by creating a retail experience tied to each individual’s needs and training groups to stimulate physical activity.

The Croys, who opened a second Fleet Feet store on Fort

Wayne’s North Side last September, will be recognizing their 10-year anniversary with a week-long celebration in August that will include a 26-mile relay from the two stores, a 5K before a minor league baseball game, a Fort Wayne trivia contest and an Associates Alumni Day.

Fleet Feet Mount Pleasant

WHEN CHRIS AND AMY MINKEL started their Fleet Feet store in Mount Pleasant, SC, a decade ago – the 100th store in the Fleet Feet enterprise – they couldn’t have predicted what awaited. Their flagship store has expanded three times. They added two stores in nearby Summerville, SC – one in 2015 and the second in 2021 – and will incorporate a fourth store into the mix this fall with the opening of a Fleet Feet shop in West Ashley. Best of all, the Minkels achieved it all by developing existing employees into company leaders.

Mill City Running

RunWell

SINCE OPENING ON July 6, 2013, Minneapolis-based Mill City Running has expanded to a second door – the aptly named Saint City Running in neighboring Saint Paul – and developed a loyal following behind co-owners Jeff and Bekah Metzdorff and a devoted leadership team led by Chelsea Kipp, Luke Windholz and Drea Haus.

Showcasing its creativity and singular spirit, Mill City marked its 10th Anniversary earlier this year with a special apparel collection featuring inside jokes and nods to its Minnesota roots as well as its Race Team.

Running Soles

WHEN WILL RIVERA OPENED THE DOORS to Running Soles in 2013, he brought something to his small Kentucky town (population 29,000) that never existed before. With its mix of specialty products, custom fitting process, weekly group runs and classes, Running Soles has promoted a more active Elizabethtown and changed lives for the better.

“It has exceeded our expectations,” Rivera says of owning Running Soles.

Having built a community of ambassadors touting Running Soles, Rivera is now scouting potential locations to open additional stores.

“We are always looking for ways to improve as a business — staying observant and open, taking well-informed risks to expand and grow,” Rivera says.

AS SHE STARED UPON EMPTY SHELVES, a skeleton crew and weak customer traffic, Jen Schaller admits she occasionally questioned her decision to trade in her high-profile yet highstress corporate accounting career in 2013 to launch RunWell in Edwardsville, IL.

No more, though, as RunWell has flourished in southern Illinois, expanding its physical footprint, filling two stockrooms with products, employing 15 team members and building an expansive tribe of loyal followers. This year, RunWell will be relaunching its Students on the Run Program that trains local high schoolers to complete a half marathon while also enhancing its Where Do You RunWell mobile app with photo-sharing capabilities and rewards.

And a few more 2023 celebrations ...

Puma: 75th Anniversary

John’s Run/Walk Shop (KY): 45th Anniversary

Runners Forum (IN): 45th Anniversary

Sneaker Factory Running Centers (NJ): 45th Anniversary

Frontrunners (British Columbia): 35th Anniversary

Alegria: 30th Anniversary

Toolen’s Running Start (IL): 25th Anniversary

West Stride (GA): 15th Anniversary

Milestone Running Shoe Shop (CA): 10th Anniversary