Running Insight

88 runninginsight.com ©2017 Formula4media LLC. "Even though it's cold outside, a lot of people don't want to be stuck in a stuffy gym, so this is a great way to make them feel a part of something bigger," Engelson says, adding that about 4,000 runners participated in Marathon Sports' Winter Warrior Challenge last January, more than half of whom successfully completed the month-long endeavor. T h e p r og r a m i n clu d e s a p r o du c t component, too, Engelson continues. Through direct interaction with participants at group runs, social media and more, Marathon Sports educates runners on winter apparel, safety gear, shoe accessories and more, while the stores also hold exclusive shopping weekends for Winter Warrior participants throughout January as well. "This helps us build our legitimacy and get people engaged with us," Engelson says. "We try to be proactive in the winter because you can't assume you'll just make up any lost ground later in the year." That's a mindset more and more running retailers are embracing. When besieged by winter's fury, savvy shops across the U.S. are not surrendering to Mother Nature, but rather seeking creative ways to drum up business and drive customers into their doors. Cold Feet at Fleet Feet Syracuse Not long after opening his first Fleet Feet Sports shop in Syracuse, NY, in 2000, Ed Griffin recalls a local partner launching a winter 5k race built around a chili theme. To the surprise of many, more than 600 people signed up. "That opened our eyes to the possibility of promoting winter activities that are fun and compelling," Griffin says. So that's the culture Griffin has set out to create at Fleet Feet Syracuse. Each Sunday throughout winter, more than 200 people descend upon Griffin's 10,000-square foot flagship store for a run with the store's Cold Feet running group. At the same time, another five dozen or so fill a cycling class as part of the store's triathlon training program. "Our whole store on a Sunday morning is like a fitness fantasy," Griffin says. "We've become the place to be on a Sunday morning because we've offered something fun, social and non-intimidating." With training group participants at the store as early as 6:00 a.m. on Sundays, Griffin opens the registers and, with the help of some exclusive incentives, corrals upwards of $2,000 in sales before his doors open to the general public at 11:00 a.m. "These Sunday groups prop us up and have made January and February successful months for us," Griffin says, adding that winter apparel sales Taking a Bite Out of Winter (continued) Winter running is chilly but fun with with Fleet Feet Syracuse's "Cold Feet" running group. Boston-based Marathon Sports' Winter Warrior Challenge program urges participants to run one mile outside each day in January.

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