©2018 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Jill NAgy
Jamie Mastroianni and her crew rushed to get their shop, i Run Local, moved to new quarters at 425 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, in time to catch the downtown events including Black Friday, Local Business Saturday and the Victorian Streetwalk crowds.
They moved over the Nov. 17-18 weekend and were open for business by the following Wednesday at the new location.
“We made this move because we think a larger space and greater visibility will help us better serve the community,” Mastroianni said.
Friday after Thanksgiving, she said, was “very positive,” and Saturday, “more exciting than last year.” The more visible location brought in more pedestrian traffic. “We are now on the walkers’ path”
The store sells running and walking shoes and related athletic gear. Before Mastroianni sells a pair of shoes, she has the customer run (or walk) on a treadmill.
“I want to see how they move and land,” she said. She discusses with them their goals, past injuries, and other factors that may affect their choice of shoes. Based on that, she can suggest some options. “Comfort is the trump card,”
In addition to shoes, i Run Local sells hats, gloves, sports watches, sunglasses, wireless headphones, a range of reflective gear, and some fleece-lined items. They plan to have weekly specials until Christmas. The first week, they offered a 15 percent discount on reflective gear.
Mastroianni’s background is in sales and marketing. She has a masters degree in business and nearly 10 years of experience before starting her own business almost five years ago. She also has a “passion for running,” as does her husband. They ran the Philadelphia marathon together in 2012. It was his first marathon andher second.
She saw the need for an “independent running store to service the community” and stepped in to fill that gap. These days her running activity is somewhat curtailed between her responsibility for i Run Local and looking after two toddlers.
The day the clocks were set back in November, i Run Local sponsored the Paleo Fallback 5, a five-mile trail race. About 350 runners took part, covering what she describes as a “pretty technical” course.
Next March, the store will partner with one of its suppliers to participate in the Adirondack Sport and Fitness Show.
The company website is irunlocal.com. The telephone number is 518-886-8537.