ABOUT US - Humble Beginnings
How We Got Started:
It started in 1997 with Kevin’s simple running goal to participate in a marathon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. His distance running career started as he raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in a program called “Team in Training.” His younger sister, Eileen, joined him as they ran for the cause inspired by the battle that their younger brother had waged before he died in 1995 from leukemia.
After he finished his first marathon in June 1998, Kevin felt a desire to share his new found running passion with the community and as a result, he started Elite Runners & Walkers, a running specialty shop, with a grand opening on January 20, 1999. What started out as a small shop with a mere 1400 sq. feet and a total of one employee has now grown to a main shop of 4300 sq. ft. and a staff of 18, plus in 2012, in conjunction with Pittsburgh's premier bike shop, Pro Bikes, we added our 1800 sq ft. Monroeville store and another 5 employees.
The shop has also earned the prestigious award of being one of the ”Top 50 Running Shops in America.”
Even more impressive is that the staff has maintained their strong passion and high level of service to have earned this title 4 times and is
the only locally owned shop to have earned this award once, let alone 4 times!
Proud Sponsor of many local races
What we want for you:
We like to be considered more than just another shoe store, and we consider you more than just a customer. You are our friends and we genuinely care about your running/walking experiences. We want to know what your goals are and how we can help you meet them. Our staff already has a running knowledge base and while they are training to be an associate we educate them on the core principles of injury awareness, training, and our fitting program so you, the client, has a better one-on-one experience with the staff and know the service you will receive is always top notch. We care about our long-term relationship with you and revel in your successes as much as you do.
Our Mission:
Our mission is to be the central hub for the Pittsburgh running community and to spread the passion that the staff has to get people out and moving and living a healthy lifestyle. We have moved forward with this mission through our involvement in the development and sponsorship of races around the Pittsburgh Region; educating the community through wellness clinics, health fairs, Good Form Running classes, and corporate nights. We have also encouraged our youth to get involved in Track and Cross Country through education about running, injury prevention, and through team nights held at the store, and by sponsoring local and regional track and cross country meets.
We hope this is something you are looking for in a running/walking specialty store. We pride ourselves on finding out what fits your needs and helping you choose what is right. We cherish your opinions and comments and hope that together we can provide a place to support your overall wellness goals as well as your competitive spirit. We hope to see you soon!