San Diego's Road Runner Sports Celebrates 40th Anniversary

By Hoa Quach, Times of San Diego

April 28, 2023

In 1983, Mike Gotfredson started Road Runner Sports from his San Diego garage with one mission in mind: To help people stay healthy and active.

Today, the mission remains the same as Road Runner Sports celebrates its 40th anniversary of helping people reach their health and athletic goals.

“[The anniversary is a] testament to our passion for inspiring people to live a healthy lifestyle and our focus on stellar customer service,” said Steve Lemig, director of brand marketing and communications, who has worked at Road Runner Sports for 16 years. “Forty years doesn’t happen without an incredible team of employees. Every one of us, from the Fit Experts in our stores to the IT team members at the home office, comes to work every day with the goal to help people get moving, stay active, and live healthfully.”

Lemig said Road Runner Sports stands apart from its competitors because of its world-class customer service.

“Our Fit Experts earn their title through hundreds of hours of training,” Lemig said. “They are truly experts in the art of shoe fitting. And perfectly fitting shoes are central to a good workout and being motivated to stay active. We’ve also spent four decades refining our shoe fitting process. It’s the best, most accurate fitting process you can find in any footwear store.”

Aside from serving its customers, Road Runner Sports is also committed to the larger community, Lemig said. The company has donated shoes to charities throughout the U.S. It has also held fundraisers to help nonprofits raise money for shoes and equipment. On top of that, Road Runner Sports has its own charity.

Although Road Runner Sports has positively impacted many lives, one customer stands out in particular. Dr. Bryon Solberg, who was born with a spinal abnormality, is a regular at Road Runner Sports where he goes for shoes and support. Solberg has completed more than 100 marathons.

“We have our own in-house charity called Athletes Helping Athletes that donates adaptive bikes 100% free to children with disabilities in an effort to help everyone have the chance to stay active and be healthy,” Lemig said. “ To think that we’ve come so far in the last 40 years and not just survived, but have thrived enough to donate and raise millions of dollars for our communities is thrilling.”

As it approaches the next milestone anniversary of 50 years, Lemig said Road Runner Sports will continue to build on its mission of inspiring people to stay active and live healthy lives.

“As time goes on, this mission will become more and more important to everyone around the world, and we will continue to lead the charge,” he said. “We always say we’re not in the business of selling shoes, we’re in the business of changing lives.”

For more information about Road Runner Sports, go to roadrunnersports.com.

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