There’s a new running store in town! Actually it happened a couple of months ago, but the stuff coming out of Denver’s Berkeley Park Running Company is looking pretty cool. Owner Chris Sullivan tells us all about it.
Berkeley Park Running Company, congrats! You’ve been open since July, how’s it going?
Like starting any new venture from scratch it’s been a ton of work. Until recently it’s been a one man show. There have been long days and hard lessons learned. Luckily I’ve had strong support from friends, family and our neighbors in the Berkeley/Tennyson area. Store traffic has continued to increase week over week. I’m excited that Phil Snyder, formerly the events director at Runner’s Roost, has joined the team. Phil brings a wealth of knowledge and an intense enthusiasm for the local running scene. We’ve dramatically increased our participation in local events and races. We’re headed in the right direction and I can’t ask for more than that.
There was an earlier running store in this neighborhood, the Denver Run House, that didn’t make it. And then just last week Boulder’s Flatirons Running Company looks to have been rescued by Runner’s Roost. Retail’s tough! What’s Berkeley Park Running Company going to do to buck the trend?
Over the past few years as I worked towards opening the shop there was always one goal that never changed: to bring a truly local and unique run specialty shop to the Denver area. I want BPRC to be as far from a traditional running store as possible. Customers can choose to spend their money anywhere. We have to provide them the best possible alternative to shopping at chains, big box stores and the web. Given the response we’ve received from the local community since opening in July I believe we are doing exactly that. We’re not like anyone else and never intend to be.
You’re a flight attendant! I think you’ve raced all over the world. What’s your most memorable race experience then?
I’ve been fortunate to have the ability to travel to several countries for races in my 16 years as a flight attendant. I’ve stepped off a trans-Atlantic flight and run a marathon in Holland two hours later, climbed the mountains of UTMB and raced the streets of Sydney. Each and every foreign race has been unique and well worth the trip. In my eyes, there is one race that stands head and shoulders above the rest. The Comrades Marathon in South Africa will change your life. In 2010 I decided to step far outside my comfort zone for my first ultra and run through the Valley of a 1000 Hills to Durban. It’s the oldest and greatest ultra marathon in the world and should be on any long distance runner’s bucket list.
And do you look to manage that full-time job alongside the new business? Not coming from the industry, was, or is it still, tough to secure key vendor relationships?
Now that I’ve got an experienced operations manager in place I’ll be able to split time between the store and the airplane. Fortunately flight attendants at my airline have the most flexible schedules in the industry. This gives me the ability to make a living outside of the shop and allow me to focus on growing the business, and not worry about just paying the bills.
It is certainly difficult to deal with some of the legacy brands. It seems that most of their sales reps are more worried about their commissions than working with true local run specialty shops. My interest is in the trail and ultra community. Both of which I feel have been underserved in the Front Range. My goal is to be the go-to local shop for these runners. When deciding on shoe brands my first question was whether or not they had solid trail shoes. If the answer was no, then I passed on that brand. We strive to provide a unique array of brands and products that you’re not likely to find anywhere else. Brands like Raidlight, Trail Butter and Goodr are the perfect fit for our vision. We’ll continue to search inside and outside the industry to find the best and most innovative products and for our customers and friends.
Group runs, when should we swing by the store, and what’s the best route you have around there?
We started our weekly group runs on Thursdays at 6:15. Our current 3.5-mile route encompasses Berkeley and Rocky Mountain Lake parks. As often as possible we plan on having vendor partners at the runs to provide our running friends with the opportunity to try new brands and products. Very soon we’ll be expanding those runs to include trail outings where everyone can get dirty and put those products to the test.
Thanks Chris, and congrats again! Follow the Berkeley Park Running Company on Facebook and Instagram.