What began with a love of running, coaching and events will become a brick-and-mortar reality with the planned opening of Running Lane.
The new Running Lane store will have shoes, apparel and accessories, along with space for meetings and events. Running Lane will be located off south Memorial Parkway near Chameleon Fabrics and Interiors. For you old timers, that is where The Vapors used to be; it’s south of the old Huntsville Times footprint and north of Whole Foods.
The target opening date is November.
Co-owners Sean Allan and Will Rodgers were teammates on the track team at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. They worked in running retail stores during and after college. Rodgers, Allan and former UAH standout Brandon Mader founded Running Lane 2012. Running Lane has grown into 26 road and trail events, high school championships, coaching and more.
“Sean and I believe with the coaching foundation we started and now with more than two dozen events we put on, this feels like the natural next step,” Rodgers told Tennessee Valley Outsider. “Things are going well. It’s exciting, busy … definitely very busy. It doesn’t matter how small or large your brand or product is, doing something like this takes a lot of time to get it set up. Big things, small details, all those things … we’re working hard to make sure we’re doing it right.”
Lot of Possibilities
The store location is convenient to several popular running and event locations, including Big Spring Park downtown and John Hunt Park on Airport Road. Running Lane holds its annual high school cross country championships at John Hunt Park each year, along with other events such as the Glow in the Park 5K. It also hosts its growing high school track championships at Milton Frank Stadium, also a short drive from the store location.
“You can pop out of our back door and be on the old marathon route, along with several other good routes to run,” Rodgers said. “From our back door to Big Spring Park, if you make a loop, is right at three miles. So, there are a lot of possibilities for different things from a running standpoint, along with ideas we have for (inside) the store we’re still kicking around.”
Rodgers said many details still are fluid or in process, as is to be expected with a new venture. Everything from business licenses and signage to talking with brand reps and setting up accounts is on the daily to-do list. Along with the upcoming Running Lane events locally, he and Allan plan to attend The Running Event industry trade show later this year in Texas.
“We’re very excited but man, there’s still a lot to do,” Rodgers said. “But it’s fun and we’re looking forward to it.”
MAIN PHOTO: An artists’ rendering shows one possibility for the inside of Running Lane, a new store in Huntsville to serve the running community.
