Our Origin Story
The Running Place started with a simple mantra: be welcoming to all. It was something Pattie Bucaccio and Joan Osborne — our founders as well as runners themselves — had felt was not really being embraced by the running industry as a whole. They wanted to offer a place for all people to get the best footwear and apparel on the market, not just experienced runners. It’s a mindset we carry on today. We are here to serve teachers and nurses and workers who spend a lot of time on their feet just as much as we are for runners training for a race.
So, in March of 2001, they opened the doors for the first time. Together they grew the shop for years until Joan was ready to move on. Bill Frawley — a well-known runner who had already been working at the shop — was a natural fit to take Joan’s spot as co-owner along with Pattie. They continued to embrace the original mantra of helping customers find the best products to meet their needs. Not too long after that, a similar transition took place with Pattie leaving and Ken Taylor — also an employee — taking over.
Thus began the Bill and Ken years.
