Great New Running Store in the Heights: Go!Running
If you love to run, participate in triathlons, or just want to start getting fit, you need to stop by Go! Running in the Heights for gear, advice, and support in your sport.
Go! Running is a specialty running store where you can find just the right shoes, socks, clothing, nutritional items and products for injury prevention and treatment.
"It's everything you need as a runner," owner Gary Taylor said.
Mr. Taylor and his wife, Erin, recently opened the bright, spacious shop at 1819 North Grant Street. They are devoted to supporting Little Rock's running community and helping individuals meet their fitness goals.
"We want to be really imbedded in the community and be a center for running and fitness. We offer clinics for triathlon. I do a lot of triathlon and am a certified USAT coach," Gary said of the USA Triathlon governing body. "We did a clinic just this weekend. It trains in transitioning between the swim, the bike and the run. This is just a place where people can learn about running and have more fun with the sport."
The shop offers most of the major brands of running shoes and some specialty shoes for triathlon events.
"First of all, it is the kind of store where we can fit people for the shoe they need. We analyze how they walk and run. The biggest injury prevention is the shoe itself."
In addition to Erin, who handles the store's paperwork, Go! Running has two employees with running experience.
"Ryder Pierce from Mountain Home runs track at UALR. He does a fabulous job for us. Lauren Merritt runs a lot. She does a lot of races, and she ran for UCA. She's going to be working here this summer. We offer experience. The people who work here can give you advice; they know how to fit shoes and how to prevent blisters and chaffing."
The shoes Go! Running offers are not as expensive as you might think.
"As a range, it's $85 to $140. It's not a crazy range, and the average shoe is around $100. You get a good name brand and the correct shoe for you - so it's not prohibitive."
The shop carries other essentials, such as energy boosting snacks, sunglasses, pedometers, and KT tape (Kinesiology Tape) for preventing sports injuries and pain and faster recovery from sore muscles or joints.
Go! Running has sponsored a number of running events and will sponsor for the upcoming Koman Race for the Cure in October and Rolling on the River in August.
"We've been working with the 'Team in Training.' It's a win-win situation. It raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It helps them with equipment and teaches how to run more efficiently. It may even pay for them to go to a race."
Gary has always enjoyed sports. In fact, when he came from Great Britain to America, he ran track at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he met Erin, who was on the women's track team.
The two have never operated a retail store, but it was a long-time dream to have a shop like Go! Running to take advantage of Gary's 30 years of experience participating in marathons and triathlon events.
One reason they located their store in the Heights is because it's a great neighborhood to run in.
"We love being part of the Heights. When we selected this location, one thing we liked is that we can run here. We do runs on Tuesday nights from here. We meet at 6 and do a route. We have 20 to 30 people. We do three to six miles. People get to choose how long they want to run. You can always find someone at the same pace as you."
So, Go! and check out the Heights' newest fun shop.
