The first Running Retailer Day powered by Zen Running Club will take place on December 10, 2024, parallel to The Running Conference 2024 presented by haku (TRC24).
The Running Retailer Day is positioned as a dedicated ‘have your say day’ for running retailers. This event within an event will provide education, key industry stats and insights, while giving retailers the opportunity to voice their needs and discuss challenges within the running sector.
Conference organiser Running Industry Alliance (RIA) notes that it will be present to listen, ensuring the concerns and priorities of running retailers are heard and supported for the future growth and sustainability of the industry.
The day will be led by Graham Richards and Phil Benton, and be based around a series of topic discussion sessions, leveraging a constant voice of ‘how can we help’ and interspersed with networking opportunities, lunch and coffee breaks. The full agenda details for the day can be found on the TRC24 website.
The Running Retailer Day will be run alongside RIA’s established annual members event, The Running Conference presented by haku, which takes place from December 8-10, 2024 at Loughborough University. This gives Running Retailer Day attendees the opportunity to meet and network with attendees from across the running industry at the venue.
Zen has been announced as the sponsor of the Running Retailer Day, with the event known as “’Running Retailer Day powered by Zen Running Club’, and will also have a showroom on-site to display its products.
Zen was founded by two industry veterans, Andy Farnworth and Richard Rusling, who set out with a goal.. ‘to create a running brand that puts performance and the planet first, without compromising on performance or style.’
The brand’s recently launched FUTUREOne running shoe has a 68% bio-content in the foam, which is claimed to be significantly more than any other eco running shoe on the market, and was voted by Runner’s World as one of the best running shoes for 2024. Zen’s Andy Farnworth will also have a presenting slot in the ‘Sustainability’ section at TRC24 on December 9th.
The Running Conference 2024 presented by haku is the largest annual RIA member in-person meet up and features curated content focusing on relevant and impactful topics for the sport and business of running, plus ample industry networking opportunities. The conference is a sellout again in 2024.
Rebecca Richardson, CEO of Running Industry Alliance (RIA), said “We are excited to host the first Running Retailer Day sponsored by Zen Running Club in Loughborough this December, and to get together to look at the challenges and opportunities facing the retail sector in a post global pandemic era where running is on a boom.
“Running retailers are an important part in the journey for many runners, and they are key for future growth and sustainability of the industry.
“Graham [Richards] and Phil [Benton] will be leading the dedicated ‘have your say’ day for B2B running retailers, with one of the main objectives to understand how Running Industry Alliance (RIA) can help support retail whilst looking at what is next for running retail.”
Andy Farnworth, Co-Founder of Zen said “We’re thrilled to support Running Retailer Day and help drive important conversations towards a sustainable future for the running industry.
“At Zen, we believe in a future where performance and sustainability work hand-in-hand, and we can’t wait to connect with like-minded individuals and share our ambitions for a new standard when it comes to sustainability in the industry.”
