The Running Company Offers Shoes, Advice, and a New Kind of Community

No matter your age or ability, it’s probably safe to say that running is a familiar activity. It’s simple, accessible, fundamental, and for many, it can be a lot of fun.

Whether you’ve run marathons or simply enjoy a run around the block, sports enthusiasts will find a variety of related merchandise and advice from the experts at the newly-opened The Running Company on Springfield Avenue.

“Our goal is just to make everybody’s experience with running as pleasurable as can be, and to minimize the risk of them getting injured,” said The Running Company New Jersey Regional Manager Timothy Styler about the store and the products it features.

The fifth store to open in the state, the Summit location offers customers a wide range of fitness gear directed toward runners and walkers including athletic apparel for men and women, accessories, nutrition items, and injury prevention products.

The Running Company also specializes in fitting customers with proper footwear and dedicates the front area of the store to its large selection of high-end training shoes, walking shoes, and orthotics. Popular brands include Asics, Brooks, Newton and Garmin.

According to Styler, The Running Company staff is prepared to individually advise customers based on the results of an assessment using an in-store treadmill and related computer programs to administer gait analysis.

“It’s about the runner experience,” Styler said about the process of finding the right shoe for each person.

At The Running Company, athletes and those interested in running and walking will find that the store offers more than merchandise and advice from the experts. They will also find opportunities to join in on local group runs and to meet fellow enthusiasts.

Summit’s The Running Company organizes weekly runs which are currently held on Saturday mornings at 8:30 and open to everyone. In addition to the group events, store manager Jacob Edwards said he plans to conduct numerous clinics for the community which will focus on the topics of form, nutrition, and injury prevention.

“We have five stores across New Jersey but each store wants to focus on the community that they’re in and that’s where we want to be heavily rooted,” said Edwards, a Connecticut native and certified natural running coach.

Edwards said he worked for Newton Running, a natural running shoe company, for a year and a half after graduating from Southern Connecticut State University.

“I was pretty extensively educated in biomechanics, natural running form, and the simple anatomy of the foot and the kinetic chain,” said the store manager of his expertise in the field.

Edwards moved to Summit after accepting his current managerial position with The Running Company and said he instantly fell in love with the town. He referred to his new residence as a “runner’s paradise,” citing its proximity to the Watchung Reservation and local tracks as ideal.

When asked why Styler and Edwards are such big supporters of the sport of running, they each gave a different answer.

“It’s something everyone can do, running and walking,” said Styler of the activity. “You can be a part of a group if you want to or you can be on your own, and it doesn’t cost a lot to get started.”

Edwards said, “The whole running community is fantastic. They’re the most friendly, warm people who really care about each other and I think that’s something rare you find in sports...and as much as it is that community organization, you have your individual goals and everybody can challenge themselves and push themselves.”

The Running Company is located at 355 Springfield Avenue. Styler encouraged those looking for more information to sign up for The Running Company newsletter on the Summit store’s website.