Running Room (company)
- Not to be confused with the running room of implant dentistry.
The Running Room is an Alberta-based company which has locations all across Canada and The United States. Founded in Edmonton in 1984 by John Stanton, the store has grown from its first location to an enterprise consisting of 114 retail locations and 1300 employees across Canada and the US.[1] The products are based upon the sport of running, with the stores primarily filled with shoes, apparel, watches and related merchandise. Many of the locations also offer training clinics for 5 km, 10 km, half marathons, marathons, and triathlon. To date, over 600,000 people have graduated from these classes. The Running Room also hosts races ranging from 2.5 km to 50 km throughout the year, including an annual event known as The Hypothermic Half, a half marathon usually ran around mid-February.[2][3]
About John Stanton
John Stanton, born in 1948, is a well-known marathon runner. A best-selling Canadian author of six books on running, John Stanton released his newest book in April 2010, the much anticipated Running: The Complete Guide to Building Your Running Program.[4] Maclean’s magazine’s 2004 Canada Day Honour Roll named the Running Room founder one of 10 Canadians making a difference in the nation for his contribution to health through fitness. He is the 2009 recipient of the Dr. Harold N. Segall Award of Merit, recognizing his significant contribution to the prevention of cardiovascular disease and the promotion of cardiovascular health in Canadians. Most recently John Stanton was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.[5] John has also been featured as a guest on CBC, CTV, Canada AM, CHUM Television, Global Television, A Channel, Rogers, the National Post, The Globe and Mail, the Weather Channel, and numerous radio and television programs across Canada and the United States.
A three-kilometer fun run with his sons in 1981 was the catalyst for a 33-year-old who was out-of-shape, overweight John Stanton realized he had to change his lifestyle. A food industry executive who smoked two packs of cigarettes a day, Stanton began running secretly before dawn because he felt self-conscious about having his neighbors see “this chubby little guy” who could only run from lamp post to lamp post before having to take a walk break. In 1984 Stanton opened a store and meeting place for runners in an 80 square-foot room of an old house shared with a hairdressing shop in Edmonton. Twenty years later, the Running Room is one of North America’s most recognized names in running and walking. In 2004 the Walking Room was launched; a mirror of the Running Room concept. The store caters specifically to the needs of walkers. His sons John Jr. and Jason are now partners with John in the family company with 114 stores in Canada and the USA.[6]
Awards
Running Room is a past winner of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies (2007 and 2008).
In 2006, John Stanton, President and Founder, was recognized by Junior Achievement - Alberta Business Hall of Fame.
In 2005, John Stanton, President and Founder, received the Alberta Centennial Medal in recognition for his service to the people and province of Alberta.