Gus and Tim Thompson founded OK Runner in 1995 with a goal of sharing their passion for health, fitness and running with the community.
Now, nearly 30 years later, the specialty retail store has two locations one in Norman and one in Oklahoma City and they continue to inspire a love of running in people of all ages.
Tim shared that Oklahoma generally ranks near the bottom in every category related to health and fitness and the idea for the business came after working for four years in a running store.
“I was ready for the next step,” he said. “Sales rep positions were being offered, but none of them made sense yet. We wanted to offer running and walking products to help people of southwest Oklahoma get into fitness. We wanted to offer a customer service experience that felt like we were family and helping the customer find what they need and not just make a sale. The metro area only had one small running store and we saw the need to expand the buying experience to more people of Oklahoma.”
The retail store specializes in fitting the foot with the correct footwear and looking closely at each person’s arch type and the different running and walking mechanics that come with that. OK Runner also sells technical apparel, insoles and accessories to help round out people’s fitness needs. Further, the store has a certified pedorthist on staff who has 32 years of footwear experience and can make custom orthotics for customers.
Tim explains that what makes OK Runner stand out is the people and their attentive customer service.
“All running specialty stores provide the same thing,” he said. “What sets us apart is you see the owners working in the store, working events in the community and providing a fun, family atmosphere, as well as an inviting store to their customers.We care about our customers and provide them with a shopping experience that can only be copied.”
One thing is certain: OK Runner is helping people in communities across the state fall in love with a healthier, more active lifestyle.
“OK Runner is important to the Oklahoma community for several reasons,” Tim said. “First, Oklahomans need access to the right brands and selection of footwear and apparel that will help with their fitness needs that running stores offer.They need our knowledge so that we make sure what they buy fits their individual needs.We offer product knowledge that is lost in the retail environment.Second, we are more involved in our community than any other industry.”
Looking ahead, there are bright things on the horizon for OK Runner. Tim shares that he and his team will always be working to keep customers loyal to their stores, and part of that comes through being active in the community. The business regularly organizes events, training runs and offers classes on injury prevention, nutrition and more.
“No one in Oklahoma can match the experience, knowledge and what we can offer our customers,” he said.
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