As the 2016 endurance season comes to a halt, athletic stores in Illinois are once again being recognized for their dedication to athletes all year long.
On Nov. 23, Competitor and Running Insight released its annual “50 Best Running Stores in America” list, and four Illinois stores were recognized. St. Charles’ Dick Pond Athletics, Fleet Feet Sports Chicago, Geneva Running Outfitters and Peoria’s Running Central were highlighted for “their outstanding service strong business practices and general excellence serving their local running communities,” the list says.
This award is no stranger to Dick Pond Athletics; in fact, this is its sixth consecutive recognition, says manager Glen Kamps.
“It is a great honor to accept this award because it shows that our five stores have achieved some excellence as measured by our vendors, our fellow running specialty store leaders, and, most importantly, our customers,” Kamps says.
“As America’s Oldest Running Shoe Store, we feel that we were selected on the basis of the our two founding principles: Community Building and Quality Customer Service.”
Geneva Running Outfitters has also received this recognition in the past; since opening in 2010, the local running and triathlon shop has made the list three times.
“There are a lot of great stores in the U.S. and it’s fantastic to have some validation to say ‘yeah, you are doing a great job,’” owner Eric Ott says. “We don’t strive to win the award, but rather strive to be the best we can be by being the difference in the community and our customers’ lives.”
Ott says he and his staff will continue to try to better themselves as a store, and will hope to make the list again in the future.
In conjunction with the “50 Best” list, Running Insight hosted The Running Event 2016 in Orlando, Fla. last weekend, where another local running store was put in the spotlight. Universal Sole in Chicago earned the 2016 National Community Involvement Award for being one of the most community-driven stores in the country.
“We are proud and humbled to have been selected as one of the top community running stores in the entire United States as voted on by Running Insight & The RIA,” a newsletter from Universal Sole says. “We would like to thank all of you for your continued support of grass roots run shops like USOLE. Thank you to everyone that comes out and is a part of all the community events we put on.”
Also at The Running Event, Naperville Running Company received The Balega Corporation Ubuntu (Human Kindness) Award for Outstanding Service to the running community, with a monetary donation and creation of the entrepreneurial program at North Central College.
Competitor says they continue to compile this list because they believe that locally owned, community-driven running shops are the heart of the sport.
“Those stores and the people who work there are woven into the soul of the sport, where runners of all abilities can be connected with the passionate culture we all share.”
