Number of Retail Locations 90 Products Specialty Running & Walking Footwear, Apparel, Accessories, Electronics, and Nutritional Products Services Running & Walking Clinics, Races and Events Building Size 1400 to 2000 square feet with 20+ foot frontage Building Type Strip Mall or Street Front Power Centres Lifestyle Centres Co Tenancy Women s Fashion National Grocer Coffee Retailer Fitness Centre or Gym Demographics (5 Mile Radius) 80,000+ Population $75,000 Average Family Income 25-65 Years Average Age University or College Graduates Proximity to Running/Walking Trails Tel: (780) 439-3099, ext. 287 Tel: (780) 439-3099, ext. 229 Contact Tim Lo Fax: (780) 433-6433 Email: tlo@runningroom.com Kevin Higa Fax: (780) 433-6433 Email: khiga@runningroom.com Running Room Inc. 9750-47 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6E 5P3
John Stanton Founder of the Running Room and Walking Room Author of Four Books on Running A best selling Canadian author of four books on running and founder of the Running Room, John Stanton was named to Maclean s Magazine s 2004 Canada Day Honour Roll as one of ten Canadians making a difference in our nation for his contribution to health through fitness. John has also been featured on CBC Venture, the Vicki Gabereau Show, Canada AM, CHUM Television, Global Television, the Weather Channel, the National Post, the Globe and Mail, and on numerous radio and television programs across North America. A three-kilometer fun run with his young sons in 1981 was the catalyst that made then out-of-shape, overweight John Stanton realize he had to change his lifestyle. Then a food industry executive who smoked two packs of cigarettes a day, Stanton began running secretly before dawn because he felt self-conscious about having his neighbours see this chubby little guy who could only run from lamppost to lamppost before having to take a walk break. John Before the Running Room In 1984 Stanton opened a store and meeting place for runners in an 8x10 foot room of an old house shared with a hairdressing shop in Edmonton. Twenty years later, the Running Room he founded is one of North America s most recognized names in running and walking. In late 2004, to be more inclusive, his company launched the Walking Room - a mirror of the Running Room concept. The store caters specifically to the needs of walkers. John Stanton has run more than 60 marathons, hundreds of road races, and numerous triathlons, including the Canadian Ironman and the Hawaiian World Championship Ironman competition. His pre-dawn runs would ultimately become John Stanton s 10:1 run/walk combination that has helped well over 600,000 Canadians do everything from learn to run to complete marathons, upright and smiling. Thousands of people have lost weight, improved their health and fitness levels and truly changed their lives as a result of one man who was determined to change his own life by losing weight and getting fit. John is now very active in working alongside cities like Abbotsford, BC, Edmonton, AB, Toronto, ON, Moncton, NB, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Burnsville and Woodbury Minnesota who have asked him and the Running Room to be part of community-wide fitness and weight awareness initiatives. John was recently chosen to serve as a Vice President of the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada. I don t believe anyone has done more for the sport of recreational running than John Stanton and the Running Room. The Running Room walking and running programs and clinics are highly-respected across North America. - Frank Shorter: Olympic Marathon Champion It has been amazing to follow your growth from the Running Room within a house to your current positioning as North America s largest Running Specialty Chain. We at Nike value and appreciate all you have done to promote and encourage running and we look forward to many more years in support of your efforts. As we like to say There is no finish line. - Phil Knight: Nike Vice President for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. On May 17th, 2006, John was recognized by Junior Achievement - Alberta Business Hall of fame. On September 1st, 2005, John received the Alberta Centennial Medal in recognition for his service to the people and province of Alberta.
The Running Room is an Alberta company, which originated in 1984 out of founder John Stanton s wish to purchase quality running shoes from someone knowledgeable about the sport. John, who began running in 1981, found the quality of service in large sporting goods stores was very poor and the staff - usually on a commission basis - were anxious to sell the most expensive rather than the most appropriate shoe to customers. This entrepreneur decided to fill this niche in the marketplace by opening a small one room store in the renovated living room of an old house in Edmonton, hence the name, Running Room. The concept was highly successful and has since expanded to over 90 locations across North America. The Running Room reputation has been built upon product innovation, quality and the knowledge of our sport.through the input of our customers and the staff, our products have been tested and proven as products of choice. The Running Room s unique private label products have been developed to provide customers with the best in style, functionality, fabric innovations and reasonable price. Service is an essential component of the company philosophy and is what keeps it competitive. All staff are considered Team Members and all are runners. Who else but a runner is knowledgeable about the needs of runners, as well as the products that cater to those needs? The Running Room philosophy is that if you re out there running on the same roads as the customers, you can relate to their exact needs. The Running Room is truly a store for runners by runners. The Running Room also offers more than the best selection of top brand name running shoes and apparel. You will find an incredible number of services that offer clinics such as Walking, Learn to Run, Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K Training, Personal Best, and For Women Only Running Clinics. The tremendous success of these clinics is evident from the over 600,000 clinic graduates to date. The Running Room clinic program is committed to a lifestyle of fitness. The various programs meet the needs of those just getting into a fitness routine and to those contemplating a marathon. In addition, there is the Running Room Running Club, which has no membership fee and allows all levels of runners to run in a group setting twice weekly. The Running Room Running Club really adds a social component to running as you get an opportunity to run with a variety of people and receive some great coaching on running techniques and training methods. In 2004 John announced the opening of the Walking Room. In announcing the opening of the Walking Room, John Stanton, said, Opening the Walking Room expands upon our goal to be as inclusive as possible and bring the fitness message to a broader range. He said his company wants to recognize fitness walking as a sport and as a lifestyle pursuit with tremendous health benefits. The Walking Room will provide the people with the finest running and walking products and services in the world, while providing an environment where people of all fitness levels, ages, shapes and sizes can feel comfortable to shop, meet and get motivational advice and expertise that will help them pursue an active lifestyle and gain improved wellness. The Walking Room will carry national brands like Nike, New Balance, Tilley, Saucony, Salomon as well as Walking Room s own line of walking packs, poles, socks, accessories and apparel. Running Room Fit-Wear and Walk Fit-Wear are 100% designed, manufactured and tested in Canada to perform under the extreme weather conditions faced by walking or running outdoors year-round. The new Running Room/Walking Room concept stores will place equal emphasis on providing service to runners and walkers. The company offers instructed clinics that bring people with similar goals and abilities together to walk, learn to run, or train for marathon events. The Running Room hosts free group runs and walks twice per week, open to anyone interested in walking or running. People can register or get information about running events and seek advice from staff knowledgeable in the sport. The Running Room organization sponsors and helps organize and promote more than 400 walks, runs and events that raise millions of dollars for local charities and non-profit organizations annually. We believe that the Running Room philosophy and our in-store environment are unlike any other retail business in North America. While we offer clothing, shoes, products and accessories for walkers and runners, we also help people to change their lives through fitness activities, said Stanton. Through the Running Room and Walking Room, people can gain a tremendous sense of belonging that comes from walking or running alongside people who share similar goals: improving wellness, while having fun and adventure exploring our cities on foot. The Running Room becomes very important to our customers, because their well-being is very important to us. In Canada and the United States, the company is now North America s largest chain of specialty stores for walkers and runners, our store numbers will continue to rise as we open more locations! The Running Room will always be driven by its emphasis on continuous improvement, customer service, and community involvement. We are not just selling shoes and equipment, we are selling a commitment to active living.
Not only is John Stanton the president of the Running Room and an avid runner, he is also an excellent author. John has written books which are helpful and informative, and have become quite a success Running Room s Book on Running Running, the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other, is truly a life-changing experience. It starts with those basic steps and soon becomes the adventure of a lifetime. Now, in a Running Room s Book on Running, veteran runner-author John Stanton offers expert advice to help you get the most from your running. This wonderfully illustrated book answers all your questions about running. Le Guide de la course du Coin des Coureurs Running Room s Book on Running in French! Running, the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other, is truly a life-changing experience. It starts with those basic steps and soon becomes the adventure of a lifetime. Now, in a Running Room s Book on Running, veteran runner-author John Stanton offers expert advice to help you get the most from your running. This wonderfully illustrated book answers all your questions about running. Running: Start to Finish The resource centre - for runners by runners. Whether you are just getting into a fitness program or are taking up the ultimate challenge of the marathon, here is the right information bundled together along with some great motivation on how to start and stay on a running program. The Runner s Lifestyle Log With over 20,000 copies sold, this Canadian bestseller has helped entry-level to seasoned veterans achieve their running goals. Written by Running Room founder John Stanton and close marathon partner Nick Lees. Between John and Nick, they have run over 60 marathons and teamed up to provide helpful insight in running many distances. There are plenty of pages to track your progress. This book is the Bible of the Canadian running community. Triathlon A triathlete s success in a race depends on the variety and quality of training needed to improve performance, but as in the case with most things in nature, there is a point where more is definitely not better. So how do you know if you re overtraining? Record. Runner s Personal Performance Record A runner s success in a race depends on the variety and quality of training needed to improve performance, but as in the case with most things in nature, there is a point where more is definitely not better. So how do you know if you re overtraining? Running Room s Training Log The Running Room s Training Log is a fun, simple guide for runners, walkers and multi-sport athletes. This training diary was put together to help you record progress as you make your way towards training goals. We ve included tips about such things as goal setting, shoe selection, stretching and safety tips. We have also included tips on starting a training program, along with sample programs from the beginner conditioning program to the marathon training program. These diary pages will help you train and race better. If you track your daily training, you are much more likely to remain committed to your training goals and will be better able to identify factors that contribute to overtraining.