Vertical Runner Set to Open on Saturday

Vertical Runner of Brecksville won’t just be a shoe store—it will be a place for runners to gather.

“Our whole thing is customer service,” said co-owner Josh Stucky.

The store will focus on the runner—everything from making sure the fit of the shoe is perfect to helping them improve with running clinics.

Stucky said the store will host activities like group runs and group bike rides once everything gets started. The grand opening of the Brecksville location is Saturday.

The business has already been getting involved in the community. Vertical Runner will be a sponsor in this year’s Home Days race, and Stucky said he’d like to tie the nonprofit he and his father run—Run 4 UR Life—into the store. The nonprofit encourages families to run together.

Stucky is no stranger to running in the community. He ran track and cross country for , and helped coach at the in recent years. The employees at the store are all experienced runners, he said.

As a high school runner, Stucky always had to drive to Akron when he needed shoes. He had worked with one of the owners of Vertical Runner in Hudson at another shoe store, and always wanted to open his own. When the came up for sale, he thought it was the perfect location. The city has access to the parks for trail runners, he said—and it’s his hometown.

Co-owner Vince Rucci said customers at the Hudson location had been asking for a store closer to where they lived for years. He also noted Brecksville's parkland as a perk.

The store’s grand opening begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday. There will be giveaways and appetizers available, and anyone who walks through the door will get 10 percent off their purchase, Stucky said. The store will carry all the major running shoe brands, as well as clothes and a variety of other types of shoes, like sandals and hiking boots.

The store’s hours will be 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (440) 740-1100.