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Assistant manager Guy Barker, marketing manager Ben Noad and store manager Ryan McKinlay |
Still running – and right up to speed with the latest technology
Inspired by the success of the first London marathon in 1981, Runners Need has gone from strength to strength, writes Steve Barnett
IT seems almost every time you walk down Parkway these days you are greeted by another change.
A new shop or estate agent, next to a pub or restaurant that now goes by a different name.
The vibe, however, remains the same. An effervescent scene made up of traffic, people flocking back and forth from Regent’s Park, and a runner with rolled up trousers taking a controlled jog along the street. At the feet of that runner lies a tradition spanning more than 26 years.
Runners Need opened in 1982 in response to the boom that followed the success of the first-ever London Marathon a year earlier. Since then, not a day has passed that you won’t see someone pounding the pavements of Parkway as they try on new running shoes.
Reopening yesterday (Wednesday) following a £100,000 makeover, Runners Need makes the experience of buying new shoes a memorable one.
The transaction gets off to a familiar start – a few simple questions to fine tune exactly what you’re looking for.
But the adventure doesn’t stop with the usual tying of the laces to make sure they fit. In order for staff to give customers the best possible trainer for their individual needs, they are taken outside into the street where they are asked to run up and down the pavement.
It’s a sight that is now seen across the capital since the running specialists opened up stores in King’s Cross, Holborn, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf.
Owner Des Austin is more than equipped to guide beginners and hardcore runners alike.
Boasting a marathon best of two hours, 19 minutes, his career highlights include a second- place finish in the Chicago Marathon and a third place finish in the London Marathon in the over-40s class.
His staff are all experienced runners too, which enables them to offer customers the best advice on equipment, training, injuries and nutrition.
A key member of the team is marketing manager Ben Noad. The leading Highgate Harrier began his running career as a double English Schools cross-country and track champion in 1994, finishing 49th at the World Junior Cross-Country Championships in the same year.
Now a regular in the British senior squad, Ben has competed as far afield as Kenya and Japan, enjoying three successive second-place finishes in the Cross-Country Championships along the way.
Ben told the New Journal: “Although we have opened up new stores, Camden Town will always be our spiritual home.
“A lot of shops and businesses along Parkway have changed over the years, so we’re delighted to be able to break that trend and keep on running.”
Ben was also pleased to reveal that visitors to the Camden store will get the chance to use a special treadmill fitted with cameras featuring Dartfish gait analysis, a sophisticated programme that is used in many sporting activities to asses biomechanics, style and skill in order to improve performance.
“The main thing for us is that we have brought our original store up to speed with resent developments in technology,” Ben added. “We have always prided ourselves in offering runners a full service, from the shoes they wear to injury and nutritional advice.
“Now, thanks to our latest improvements, runners can get more involved in the science behind how they run, and gain a better understanding as to why we’re recommending particular shoes.”
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