Rob Dulin, a teacher and coach for Brentsville District High School, and Jason Grant, communications manager for the Prince William County Department of Economic Development, have opened a specialty running store in the Virginia Gateway shopping center in Gainesville, Virginia. The Running Store opened its doors on November 16th at 7343 Atlas Walk Way, joining the growing number of independent specialty stores in the Gainesville/Haymarket area.

"Rob Dulin has been the head cross-country coach at Brentsville for the past 16 years, and is one of the most successful coaches in the country. He organizes local races and youth track camps, and really has his pulse on the local running community," said Jason Grant, Vice President of The Running Store, Inc. "We coached track and field together for three years, and always wondered why there was not a specialty running store in western Prince William County. One day we just decided, 'Why not just do it ourselves?'"

Even though neither Dulin nor Grant had any retail experience, they recognized the significant demand for a specialty running store that caters to the needs of everyday runners and walkers.

"We did a lot of research before embarking on this journey, and we found that most running stores we visited are keenly focused on that 'elite runner,' which can be very intimidating for many customers," said Grant. "As coaches, our philosophy is to help every single person, regardless of their ability, to reach their individual goals, and we carry that same philosophy into our business. So, whether someone is a runner, a walker, is training for the Olympic trials, or simply looking to get into a little better shape, we want to help them be successful."

The Running Store does not simply sell shoes. Their professional staff performs a detailed gait analysis to insure that the customer finds the shoe that best meets his/her unique biomechanical and training needs. All customers buying shoes go through the fitting process, which begins with an analysis of their foot size and width, arch height and stability, and anatomical structure of the feet. Customers have the opportunity to run on a treadmill where they themselves can see their running form. Finally, they are asked to run or walk on a hard surface, where staff further analyzes their gait. With the data collected, staff recommends shoes to help the customer find the best fitting shoe for his/her needs.

"Our motto at The Running Store is, Don't Pick the Shoe. Let the Shoe Pick You" says Rob Dulin, President. "We view each customer as an opportunity to educate about shoes, their body, and running or walking in general. We help customers find the type of shoe for their particular needs, bring out a variety of shoes for them to try, and then it's up to the customer to find out which shoe fits the best for them."

The Running Store also realizes that the only way to discover whether a shoe is truly best for you is to let you use it as you normally would. So, they offer a satisfaction guarantee on every product they sell. "Once in a while a shoe feels great at the store, but when you take it home and use it, it may not perform as you expected," said Dulin. "We want our clients to get the shoe dirty, to run in it, sweat in it, and use it. If they aren't completely satisfied with the performance, they simply return it within 30 days and we give them store credit to find something that does work. That's not just with shoes, but with everything we sell."

Another way The Running Store differs from many specialty stores is in their commitment to youth running. "My love and passion is youth running," said Dulin. "Jason and I both coach youth sports, so we want to always serve that market. Many kids don't realize what a great sport running is. It's one of the few sports where it doesn't matter where you place or how you measure up to somebody else. You simply compete with yourself, set your individual goals, and work hard to attain them." To encourage youth running, The Running Store discounts its youth- sized shoes 25%, and is one of the few specialty running stores to carry a selection of running shoes in sizes and widths for children ages 4 and up.

"We have had tremendous support from the local community in our first few weeks of business," said Dulin. "We have had runners and walkers of all ages and abilities come by the store from Gainesville, Haymarket, Bristow, Nokesville, Heritage Hunt, Warrenton, Fairfax, and a lot of holiday visitors from across the country. We will be a hub for runners and walkers throughout the community. A place where they can congregate and meet to do workouts together as well as purchase the products they need to exercise injury free. It has been a labor of love getting this store open, and there are a lot of hours that go into keeping our daytime jobs and making the business successful. But it's definitely worth it when you see the difference you make for your customers."

The Running Store Inc. is a registered S Corporation, which Dulin and Grant began by soliciting 30% of the initial start-up from individual investors. They individually maintain the remaining 70% interest in the corporation. The Running Store employs one full-time and seven part-time employees.

The Running Store Web site

The Running Store, Inc.
7343 Atlas Walk Way
Gainesville, VA 20155
703-753-4470