Frontrunners named Canadian independent store of the year

B.C’s Frontrunners was awarded ‘Store of the Year’ by the Independent Running Retailers of Canada (IRRC). The award was presented to Rob Reid and Nick Walker, the owners of Frontrunners, by New Balance Boston in Austin, Texas at the Running Event, the industry’s annual trade show.

Established in 1988, Frontrunners has three stores in the Victoria area and one in Nanaimo, B.C. Reid founded the independent Canadian running retail group 12 years ago to share best practices, and grow the sport in Canada. The award is given annually to the top store in the industry for its service and community work.

“This is a great honour for the store and our staff. We pride ourselves on being local and supporting community events,” Reid says. “Membership of the Independent Running Retailers has grown to 30 stores from across the country and it continues to grow every year, which proves that there is a demand for local retailers.”

“We strive to be a leader in community development by supporting hundreds of local charitable organizations and events every year,” adds Walker.

Frontrunners sponsors several running events on Vancouver Island including the Victoria Marathon, the Oak Bay Half-Marathon and the Vancouver Island Race Series. The organization also supports several grassroots programs and organizes running clinics.

Edited from a press release.