We’re excited to announce a new program for 2019 – Spotlight on Specialty presented by Saucony. This series of feature articles will showcase specialty run and outdoor retail stores focusing on their commitment to trail running through their in-store programs, brand inclusion, events and more.
Each month in the Trail News section of our website we’ll write about a specialty run or outdoor retail store and showcase their trail running programs, events the store organizes or supports as well as share contact information, location and years in business. The goal of this program is to share innovative and successful programs and ideas that have helped grow and support the trail running community in the specialty run space.
“In this modern time of online shopping, locally-owned businesses have been feeling the impact in their cash registers,” said American Trail Running Association (ATRA) executive director Nancy Hobbs. “Through this new program presented by our friends at Saucony, we hope consumers see the value of run specialty and shop locally and support the many programs offered in their trail running communities.”
“At Saucony, we believe in the transformative power of running, and our specialty run and outdoor retail partners are the torchbearers of all the goodness that running brings,” said Anne Cavassa, president of Saucony. “These specialty retailers sell more than shoes; they create a space where runners can call home, a place where the local trail running community can share their off-road experiences and trail-running spirit. We’re honored to join forces with the American Trail Running Association to further help grow and support the all-important specialty run space and trail running community.”
Nancy Hobbs at Outdoor Retailer in Denver, CO.
Added American Trail Running Association (ATRA) president Adam W. Chase, “At last year’s Austin-based The Running Event we hosted a panel of specialty running shoe stores and the discussion emphasized trail running successes. From that esteemed panel we learned the importance of community events and how a local shop can become the epicenter and gathering place for trail runners. We created Spotlight on Specialty presented by Saucony to serve as a similar place for sharing and allow running retailers to learn from one another and help to grow their local communities of trail runners.”
Running stores featured through Spotlight on Specialty presented by Saucony, can be American Trail Running Association members at the single track level or higher. Included in the single track level is a new sub category – Specialty Run. Members at this level will be listed on our home page under this new category.
Adam Chase (right) leads a panel discussion at The Running Event (TRE).
Stay up to date on timely trail running stories on our Trail News section of this website and follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. Be sure to join us at the 7th US Trail Running Conference, October 9-12, in Estes Park, CO.
About Saucony: Saucony, a division of Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW), is a leading global running lifestyle brand that fuses performance, innovation and style to create compelling footwear and apparel with its widely recognized brands Saucony and Saucony Originals. Founded in 1898, Saucony exists to empower the human spirit, with every stride, on every run, in every community. The brand’s call to action, Run for Good, is Saucony’s invitation to people everywhere to experience the transformative power of running. Saucony’s award-winning innovations include PWRRUN+™, EVERUN™, FORMFIT™, Geometry of Strong™, and the Total Run System™ apparel line. At Saucony, a good day is when we run. A better day is when we inspire others to run. For more information, go to www.saucony.com.
