Big Sky Run Co. creates community in Winnipeg

Local, independent running stores are the backbone of Canada’s running community. From product knowledge to community involvement, our local run shops shape running culture across the country. Together, ASICS Canada and Canadian Running are going from coast to coast, exploring Canada’s top running shops and bringing you along for the ride.

On Tuesday mornings, Big Sky Run Co. doesn’t look like your average run shop. The store’s exterior is lined with running strollers, and inside is packed with new parents enjoying a post-run coffee and chat. That’s the magic of the store that Caroline Fisher opened in Winnipeg in 2022. The goal was simple: an independently owned run store that brought in all the big brands, plus some fun extras—and was always community-driven and open to all.

“I had been working at another running shop in the city, but it didn’t really fill my cup the way I would have wanted,” Fisher recalls. “I wanted to try something different. I wanted to open a community space where anyone felt comfortable walking in. I love the shoe-fitting process–not just with runners, but with people who have any sort of medical ailment or pain. It is really satisfying helping them find the right shoes.”

The community space is still a large part of the shop’s ethos. “We love the people who pop in here on a regular basis and run with our run clubs,” says Fisher. “The first thing we did before we even opened the store was to start a run meetup. I think we had 75 people show up that first time. We all know lots of people in the running community, so they knew it was happening. Now, there are so many run clubs in Winnipeg! I feel like every brewery in the city has a run club. Several coffee shops have run clubs. But I don’t ever want it to feel like we’re competing. I think we’re just complementing each other.”

“I want us to be there every weekend,” she adds. “I don’t want to change things too much. I want people to know that they can show up any Saturday morning at 8:30 and it’ll be exactly what they predict. It’s not going to be a surprise. We’ll always have coffee after and treats after. We aren’t trying to be trendy, we just want to be there for our people.”

And the stroller run? “I thought of that a long time ago, before I opened the shop,” Fisher says. “I had two kids and I often thought back when they were little that it would have been nice to have people to stroll or run with. That was one of the very first things we did when we opened–we started this parent-baby group. And for a long time there were only a few people who showed up. But in the last six months, that group has really grown a lot, and I love it–they take over the store on Tuesday mornings.

“It’s a way for athletes who are new moms to get back into some regular physical activity. It shows that the store isn’t intimidating,” she says. “The last thing I want to be is intimidating, and I know that’s a problem for a lot of running stores. I think that comes down to having an inviting storefront and a smart setup inside, but it’s mostly about having the right people—our staff is incredible.”

The stock of Big Sky Run Co. is genius: small-niche running brands are interspersed with the major brands, but it doesn’t feel cluttered. “I wanted it to be like a boutique, but not in a way that’s too minimalist,” she says. “I want people to have lots of stuff to look at, not just three shirts on a rack. But I also wanted it to be unique and have a mix that wasn’t too much. And we always want it to feel current.”

A glance at the About Us page on the store’s website underscores Fisher’s commitment to making the store open to everyone. Scroll down, and you quickly see a land acknowledgment on the homepage and a recent Instagram post about Pride Month. “I think those are my—and ours as a staff—core values. And I know that those things aren’t always relevant to selling shoes, but especially in this political climate, it’s important to state our values. I can’t be wishy washy, I just need to be strong in those values. And I need to be clear about who we are.”

Saskatchewan running store has a big heart—and an even bigger stock of shoes

Big Sky Run Co. isn’t a trail-running store, per se, but it does lean into Fisher’s preference for running on dirt. “We have a lot of trail-running equipment, but of course, trail runners also run on the road, and that’s where our community is running,” she says. “But we have a trail flavour—the races we support are trail races, and trails are the interest of a lot of the staff who work here. But ultimately, mostly we’re on the roads, because we’re an urban store.”

“To me, running and racing is the perfect combination of wanting to overcome a struggle and push through hard moments, but at the same time we want it to be fun enough that you want to talk about it later and do it again,” she says. “Running is fun. We’re excited about it. We’re excited for people who are excited about running.”

The best part of owning a run shop? “I think every Saturday morning run is the best part,” she says. “I was naïve when we first opened. Early on, things were challenging. I thought we’d open the doors and people would just flood through. But there were some days when not a single customer came through the doors. It was nerve-wracking. We had a lot invested in the place, and we’d worry people had forgotten us. But then Saturday morning would roll around, and the people who care about us and want us to succeed would show up. I’ve only missed a couple since we opened, and every Saturday, I’m so happy.”

That might also be because she just loves the run. “I’m a runner first, and a store owner second,” she says. “I still love running, and I don’t just want to sell things. I want to run.”

Check out Big Sky Run Co here.