'Dude, I’m in’: Healdsburg Running Co. doubles as social hub for North Bay runners
Healdsburg Running Co. calls itself “America’s Wineiest Running Store.”
Through group runs and events, the shop for running shoes and all sorts of striding gear has become, for veteran and newbie runners alike, a social hub where a community built around health and fitness comes together, often over adventure, wine, beer and food.
Store founder Skip Brand, a self-proclaimed “computer nerd” and “running nerd” opened the store in 2015.
The move came after years of working and living in Silicon Valley, including stints at Yahoo and as CEO of Martini Media, a San Francisco digital marketing company. His doctoral degree from Arizona State University is in technology policy.
But after a couple decades in the field he’d decided it was time for a change. He’d bought an 800-square-foot home in Healdsburg in 2005. His store on Center Street came 10 years later.
“What happens, at least in my family, is when you turn roughly 50, you take your day job and stop. And you do your passion,” said Brand, 57.
Running has always been an outlet for him. But he’s never been much of a “solitary runner,” he said. Instead, he enjoys running with others, chatting along the way.
“The great thing about running with someone is that they’ll tell you a lot,” Brand said. “Or, if you’re running, you’ll listen a lot, even if you’re not a great listener.”
The store allowed him to mesh that approach to people with a new business, and with his digital marketing experience, seek to forge a community in Healdsburg centered around running.
“I just set a really simple goal in saying, ‘I want Healdsburg to be ‘Healthsburg,’’” Brand said.
‘The four Cs’
Healdsburg Running Co. is organized around four verticals, or what Brand calls “four Cs”: community, charity, camps and commerce.
The first is about bringing more people into the sport, which can be intimidating for non-runners and first-timers.
Healdsburg Running Co. seeks to ease any anxiety through a diverse, inclusive sense of community. Its runs are described as “beginner-friendly.” Most are based out of single point, be it a tasting room or trailhead. Everyone ends up at the same place, which alleviates the stress of the meetup, Brand said.
Another way to motivate people to run, Brand explained, is with a good cause.
“The store and our runs started with kind of creating a community somewhere that everyone was welcome,” said Brand. “And then when we would do runs, or do a race, it was all based on raising money for a charity,” he said.
The majority of the store’s races partner with the nonprofit foundation Live Like Drew, which helps support the children of vineyard workers who are in need of college scholarships.
Much of the fun at HRC, though, stems from its camplike-approach to runs, treating them as adventure-filled outings.
That can mean pairing up a miles-long workout with a post-run gathering at a local brewery or a meal at a restaurant. The Tuesday ladies-only runs are a hit, often featuring a wine or beer tasting and gear demo. A spinoff Facebook group with more than 470 members includes women lighting out for running events around the world.
Runs for kids and trail-based weekend runs fill out a busy weekly schedule for Healdsburg Running Co.
Brand said a recent run drew about 60 people, who piled into Sprinter vans on their way to Crooked Goat Brewery in Petaluma for a post-run celebration. Petaluma’s Acme Burger was the base for another run, because who doesn’t love a juicy burger and some tater-tots — carb loading — after a workout with friends?
As for commerce, Brand, a former marketing executive, has harnessed social media and enlisted an enthusiastic group of store ambassadors to promote the club and business through its runs, races and product demos.
“The last thing you want to do in retail in today’s world is try to sell something, if that makes sense,” he said. “Especially for (younger people), (they’re) like ‘I don’t want to be sold something — I’ll demo something and see if I like it, or educate me.’ Everything is indirect.”
Case in point: Professional runner David Laney joined a recent Saturday run. He brought along Swedish running shoes by Craft Sportswear for runners to test.
The range and repetition of run options also is part of the magic. They are promoted across the store’s site and social media. If you can’t make one, try for the next. Most runs happen rain or shine.
The youthful energy of Brand’s 15-member staff — large for an independent running store — and their social media fluency keeps it all running smoothly, he said.
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