Running Lab of Brighton named one of the top shops in the USA
BRIGHTON — For the past two months, Running Lab of Brighton has been harboring a substantial secret.
For the fourth year in a row, Running Lab has been recognized by the organization "Best Running Stores" as one of the top running specialty stores in the nation. But this year, the honor was particularly significant.
“This would technically be our fifth time winning a best running store award, but the past four years we’ve gotten it in a row,” said co-owner Toni Reese. “This is our first time for top four. We’ve always been in that top 60 group.”
The selection process involves detailed questioning and, for the top nominees, secret shopping. Stores are evaluated based on every aspect of their business, from the type of apparel they sell to the specific culture their store promotes. The stores that tend to be selected are unique from the competition and contribute to their community in a distinct way.
“On average, they have about 12,500 nominations for best running stores,” Reese said. “They’re each independent running stores coming from each community, and then they kind of dwindle those nominations down to (500) unique stores being nominated. ... And then, from those 500, 60 are considered a ‘best running store’ in the United States.”
As part of the honor, ownership was invited to an event in Austin, Texas. They brought 17 staff members with them.
“They were just able to enjoy the festivities at the expo, and then Thursday night was the awards ceremony, where we all just sat anxiously anticipating the announcement of who the winner was,” Reese said.
Reese said Running Lab has always valued the team aspect of success. The trip not only served as a celebration, but provided inspiration for the future.
“I think our staff is so proud of the products and services we provide ... so getting this top four award is really that pat on the back acknowledgement,” Reese said. “It also drives us, because we didn’t win best running store."
What makes Running Lab's success remarkable is the sheer number of hurdles they've faced over the past several years. The COVID-19 pandemic was a major obstacle for many small businesses, and Running Lab was no exception.
"We didn’t know what was going to happen to our store," Reese said. "We didn’t know if we were going to stay in business. But we knew we had staff we had to take care of, so when our store was closed, we continued to pay our staff. Nobody was let go. Pay kept coming through, and we knew this was the risk we needed to take."
More recently, Running Lab was plagued by year-long construction on Main Street. Many local businesses struggled to attract customers and stay afloat, Running Lab among them. Reese largely credits her co-owner, Ken Larscheid, for the business' ability to cope.
“He was the leader in this and did such an awesome job of breaking down the timeline of how to build a great business strategy and collaborate with all the other merchants downtown,” Reese said. “It was awesome.”
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“We just wanted to kind of drive a stake in the ground that we're here to stay, and we’re going to do everything we can to just lead a healthy community and hopefully bring some people with us,” Larscheid added.
Running Lab hosts Tuesday night runs and free yoga on the first Monday of every month. Every event the business hosts is free and open to anyone interested in improving themselves or the wider community.
“It’s really exciting to be able to see how Running Lab has brought our community together, and there’s always a great opportunity, every single day, for us to invite somebody in, because that’s all people want,” Reese said. “They just want an invitation to be their best selves."
— Ari Hickman is a sophomore at Brighton High School and a freelancer for The Livingston Daily. Contact the newsroom at newsroom@livingstondaily.com.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Running Lab of Brighton named one of the top shops in the USA
