Runner’s Life in Peterborough, Ont.: a run shop where everybody knows your name
Few run shops have as much of a community spirit as this central Ontario retailer
Runner's Life
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Runner’s Life in Peterborough, Ont., isn’t just a run shop. Instead, owner Dave Dame has turned the store into a community hub, featuring social runs (including a singles run that has been shockingly successful) and community race support. It’s a store whose holiday party has gotten so big, it has to rent a hall to host it. Since 2003, when it first opened its doors, it’s become a place where runners gather, whether there’s a planned run or it’s just a casual meetup—and that was always the goal.
The name wasn’t something Dame just came up with; to him, Runner’s Life has a deeper meaning. First, it’s about the runner’s whole athletic life, which is why the store has a distinctly triathlon-friendly feel. Almost every runner goes through a triathlon or cycling phase, he says, whether due to injury or just as a fun way to add some cross-training. Even if you’re not running right now, you can still have a Runner’s Life.
And second, it’s about the athlete as a holistic human. Running solo is great, but running with friends and having a community to cheer you on is a game changer. Even folks who aren’t regulars for the shop’s run clubs and gatherings can still use the space as a place to gather intel about an upcoming race or just meet a friendly staff member who’s willing to chat about running.
“You’re going to dabble in other things,” Dame says, and that’s just a healthy lifestyle. But the core is running. We always come back to running. We see so many runners dabble in in triathlon and duathlons and Nordic and mountain biking and trail running. So we try to support all that stuff, because that is more the nature of the the modern day runner.”
“From the minute we opened, the goal was always to build the community,” Dame says. “I’m passionate about this stuff. I do it all—swim, bike, run, ski—myself, and I just want people to play with! So, you build the community around that. We have regular run groups, but also triathlon groups, Nordic groups, mountain bike groups, kids’ running groups… We do all the stuff!”
“We’ve had four group runs every week for 22 years, and it’s always been the same lineup: we have an easy pub run, we do an interval night, we do a tempo night, and we do a long run,” he says. “We’ve done that non-stop, and then we have cycling workouts and open water swim throughout the summer, and we do events like a kid’s triathlon here in town.”
As a devoted athlete himself, Dame obviously loves gear. Nothing comes into the store that he hasn’t vetted. “Everything in the store is hand-picked, and I can justify everything that we sell,” he says. “And we’ve tried to make the store a community hub, as well. We preach balance here, so we’ve got a couple of beer taps and a coffee machine so that after runs, we can have this social moment. And if you need to grab some gear at the same time, great.”
“Retail is obviously changing. You know, online is an important part of our business. We have an online store, and you can’t exist without it,” Dame adds. “But we know that trying on shoes is the best way to get the right pair for you. The technology changes so quickly now as well, and to be able to talk to someone knowledgeable about all the different technologies on offer, and then to try it on, makes actually coming to the shop worthwhile.”
And Dame has found that if you build it, they will come (and run). “We’ve built cubbies for all our runners so everyone can come in and store their stuff. We have two showers in the store. We’ve got a mandatory pub run night on the first Tuesday of every month. We’re always trying new things, and we try to go a little bit above and beyond. We have Christmas parties every year, we rent out a music hall, bring in a live band. We do point-to-point runs, where we shuttle everyone back home from the run destination. We do bus trips to some of the major races in Toronto. We’re about so much more than shoe sales.”
They’ve also helped raise more than $1 million for local charities through their events, raising funds for the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Peterborough Regional Hospital, as well as sponsoring local community events.
But seriously, about that singles run: “We had a singles run the other day, but honestly, all of our runs end up bringing together people who have lots in common,” Dame laughs. “I think over the years, we’ve had 20 marriages come out of the club, and probably double that in the long-term relationships, and of course, lots of dating.”
“If you want to be in retail, you’ve got to give people more than just a sale. You got to give them an experience and a reason to come in,” he says. And clearly, that’s exactly what Runner’s Life is doing.
