Owner David Moody bought Core Running Company just seven months after it originally opened about six years ago.


“I’ve been in the running business for a while now,” he said. “It’s just been a passion, and I’ve always tried to do something I have a passion for.”


Moody said he likes being a part of the community of runners in San Marcos. Core Running often helps promote local races such as the Purgatory Trail Run and Mo's Better Half Marathon.


“Similar to any kind of sport, it has its following and becomes a family,” he said. “It’s fun.” 


In October, Moody moved the store from the San Marcos Square to 400 S. CM Allen Parkway, where he subleases a space from Phoenix Fitness.


“It was a wonderful opportunity. I’m grateful to have it,” he said. “It was tough enough business on the square that I’d considered closing a couple of different times.”


Large and small running stores all over the country have closed in the past few years because of the growing popularity of online shopping, Moody said.


However, shoe shopping online cannot replace a fitting by a knowledgeable salesperson, he said.


“The fitter [at a running store] is going to know feet almost as well as a podiatrist,” he said. “They won’t be a surgeon, and they won’t have the degree, but they’ve looked at so many people’s feet they understand which shoe to match you up with in order to protect your knees, hips and lower back.”


“We do specialty service. It’s very difficult to succeed financially. Most of the [entrepreneurs] that stick with specialty running do it for passion and have the ability to lose money or lack of desire to make money.”


Some of his most frequent customers are people who are on their feet for long hours, such as doctors, nurses, mechanics and employees from the Amazon.com warehouse, he said.


“In lieu of just trying to sell someone something, I really do care what’s happening to [customers],” Moody said. “I want them to get a shoe, of course, but I don’t want them to get messed up. I spend a lot of time trying to educate them and let them know it’s serious. You only get two feet. You can’t get a foot transplant.”


Core Running Company


400 S. CM Allen Parkway, San Marcos
512-353-2673
www.corerunningcompany.com
Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-6 p.m.,
Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.