“The only running store in this town didn’t really care about the charity runners because we were never going to win a race,” she said. “We were average people. We weren’t the mentality of what a typical running store is about. On all our long runs we commiserated about starting a store, a place where we could hang out.”
The business is run like a traditional running store stocked with important gear like running shoes. The store also gives runners and walkers of all abilities a chance to be part of a running group that meets there on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. There is also a summer Up and Running Juniors group for children in grades kindergarten through eighth grade that is held at Stingley Elementary School in Centerville.
In addition to the other groups there is a beginner’s running group meant to get someone from walking to running a 5K in 12 weeks.
“I’m here to be a friend to someone who is starting out and say, ‘Here’s what you need.’ I’m not trying to sell you a ton of stuff. I just want you to be comfortable when you get out there,” Stein said.
Operating a running store requires knowledge of the business, not just running knowledge, according to Stein.
“I can hire people that know more about running than I know, but I run it as a business, too,” she said. “I learned how to fit. Somebody can say ‘My coach told me you should wear this.’ It’s different for everyone, and so the fitting process was probably the most training I had, and it’s the most we give our new staff too. When I decided to open the business I didn’t know any of that stuff.”
The store is meant to be a place where like-minded runners of various skill levels can meet and feel comfortable, according to Stein.
“You should feel comfortable. If you are running a 15-minute mile or a seven-minute mile, those people sit around here on Saturday mornings and have coffee,” she said. “You could have a renowned doctor sitting here talking to somebody that might be a librarian. Never would those two mix unless they had some commonality. The clubhouse effect is what I’m after here.”
A second Up and Running store opened in Troy in 2011, which has a running group on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Stein had a business plan initially, but she did not picture the second store even opening. She is mainly concerned with evolving the store in relation to the customers’ needs.
“I just want to be here, and I want to be able to keep the community alive and healthy,” she said.
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