As we hit our stride into 2024, I wanted to take a moment to reintroduce myself and our mission here at Run Moore. For the first several years of business, it was hard to not deal personally with me on every interaction at the shop. As we are now entering our 10th year, I’m now on the floor less, so you may not know there is a Moore behind Run Moore.
The idea of the store came when my second son was born, and I was in desperate need to get to a running shop to upgrade my beat-up shoes. Having no time to leave Carroll County, I hatched a plan to make a store right here in town. I had never worked in run specialty, let alone any retail establishment. It was a struggle and a true labor of love for several years before we saw some fruits of our labor.
Run Moore opened in a different location than we currently reside. Our old location that was across from O’Lordans and was a fraction of the size as our current store. We spent five years grinding until we eventually outgrow it and moved to our wonderful and spacious Main Street location. We had to work very hard to gain the respect and approval from manufactures, many of whom refused to sell to us the first few years because of the fear we’d go under. That’s why we have such love for brands like Altra and Mizuno because they took a chance and believed in us when other brands simply did not.
Owning a store in the town I live in with my family, has been a dream. Being a running shoe guru is a mix of John Cusack in High Fidelity and Olivander from Harry Potter. At any given time, I can be having a heated debate about my top 5 shoes for downhill running or seeking out that one perfect shoe that I know is going to help something with their nagging sciatica.
I never got into this because I love shoes, I got into it for my love of running and what it has provided me and so many others. Learning about the differences in the shoes has been a function of running a lot of miles and trying things out to see how they affect my own running or health. The right shoes are needed to keep me running, much like a good pair of headphones may keep you engaged in your podcast, which may keep you on the treadmill an extra mile. In the end, it’s part of the same end goal. They’re things needed to stay active, and we carry as many different things to achieve that as we can. The intention of the store isn’t necessarily to have a cool hangout for runners to flex their half marathon PR’s (although sometimes it can be), it’s here to help people to find the equipment they need to stay active. In staying active, you’ll feel better both mentally and physically.
In my scant 43 years on this big blue marble, I have not found anything that makes me feel better inside and out than going for a run. While I’ve had many miserable runs or runs, I absolutely dreaded or complained about, I never have runs I wished I did not take. The hardest steps in running are typically the ones it takes to get out the door. That struggle can be just as real with seasoned runners as it is with newbies. I always think back to the great John Birgham quote, “the miracle isn’t that I finished, it’s that I had the courage to start.”
Our goal here is to have a space for anyone who wishes to become more active. It does not matter if you’re running, walking or hitting the gym. Run Moore is meant to be welcoming and encouraging no matter where you are in your own journey. It’s one of the reasons we’re adding a walking leader to our group runs. If you don’t want to run but want to hit the town with a group for a stroll and feel the power of movement, we got you covered. Being active and getting the endorphin release from exercise can be life changing. It can affect your entire life outlook. If we can help you achieve whatever your personal goal is, then we can be satisfied in our work.
