Naperville Running Company in Illinois took home first place in 2013's 50 Best Running Stores in America contest, sponsored by Competitor magazine. Naperville Running also won in 2009. The three runner-ups were Red Coyote Running and Fitness in Oklahoma City, OK; Rush Running Company in Bentonville, AK; and Sole Sports Running Zone in Tempe, AZ.
The rankings process, compiled by Competitor magazine and Running Insight trade magazine, started in July with runners nominating their favorite stores through www.competitor.com. Those stores were then put through a rigorous evaluation process, which included mystery shopping to assess customer service, credit ratings from vendors and assessments about local programs and community commitment.
The winner was revealed Dec. 5 at The Running Event, an industry-only trade show, in Austin, TX.
Other awards handed out on the night:
- Marathon Sports (Boston) won the Ubuntu Award, which is presented by Balega. The award is presented to the store that epitomizes the spirit of community service;
- Charm City Run (Timonium, MD) won the The Never Stop Exploring Award,
which is sponsored by The North Face and goes to the store that best initiates local community programs that break down the
barriers to getting people outdoors; - Potomac River Running in the Washington DC Metro area won the Just Do Award, presented by Nike and honoring a women's running store owner;
- Boutique Endurance (Montreal) won Canadian Store of the year, an
award presented by the Independent Running Retailers of Canada and
sponsored by New Balance Canada.
The full list of 2013's 50 Best Running Stores in America by state follows:
ALABAMA
Fleet Feet Sports Huntsville, Huntsville
ARKANSAS
Rush Running Company, Bentonville
ARIZONA
Fleet Feet Sports Tucson, Tucson
Sole Sports Running Zone, Tempe
Tortoise & Hare Sports, Glendale
CALIFORNIA
A Snail’s Pace Running Shop, Brea
Fleet Feet Sports Aptos, Aptos
Fleet Feet Sports Davis, Davis
Sole 2 Soul Sports, Visalia
FLORIDA
1st Place Sports, Jacksonville
FitNiche, Lakeland
Fit2Run, University Park
Jacksonville Running Company, (Tapestry Park location), Jacksonville
Runner’s Depot, Davie
GEORGIA
Big Peach Running Company, Atlanta
Natural Strides, Woodstock
IDAHO
Shu’s Idaho Running Company, Boise
ILLINOIS
Dick Pond Athletics, Schaumburg
Fleet Feet Sports Chicago (Old Town location), Chicago
Geneva Running Outfitters, Geneva
Go Outside and Play Running Company, Galesburg
Naperville Running Company, Naperville
Running for Kicks, Palos Heights
INDIANA
Fleet Feet Sports Schererville
Three Rivers Running Company, Fort Wayne
Tri-N-Run, Lafayette
LOUISIANA
Live 4 Sports, Houma
MAINE
Maine Running Company, Portland
MARYLAND
Charm City Run, Timonium
Fleet Feet Sports Baltimore, Pikesville
MASSACHUSETTS
Whirlaway Sports Center, Methuen
MICHIGAN
Gazelle Sports, Kalamazoo
Playmakers, Okemos
MISSOURI
Big River Running Company, St. Louis
Garry Gribble’s Running Sports, Kansas City
The Run Around Running Company, Joplin
The Running Well Store, Kansas City
Ultramax, Columbia
NEBRASKA
Peak Performance, Omaha
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Runner’s Alley, Portsmouth
NEW YORK
Fleet Feet Sports Syracuse, East Syracuse
Sayville Running Company, Sayville
OHIO
Bob Roncker’s Running Spot, Cincinnati
Columbus Running Company, Dublin
OKLAHOMA
Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa, Tulsa
Red Coyote Running and Fitness, Oklahoma City
PENNSYLVANIA
A Running Start, Reading
Scranton Running Company, Scranton
TEXAS
Luke’s Locker, Dallas
Run On!, Dallas
UTAH
Salt Lake Running Company, Salt Lake City
VIRGINIA
Fleet Feet Sports Roanoke, Roanoke
Pacers, Arlington
Potomac River Running, Burke
WEST VIRGINIA
Robert’s Running & Walking Shop, Huntington
