The highlight of the recent Running Industry Association (RIA) annual RIA members conference, hosted in late April in Atlanta, GA, was the induction of Hugh Gaither from Feetures, and Ellen and Ed Griffin from Fleet Feet Syracuse into the Running Specialty Industry Hall of Fame.
• Gaither founded Feetures in 2002 with his two sons, John and Joe, and spent 20 years traveling the country to meet with run specialty owners and buyers to advocate for the value of the performance sock category. Gaither also served a three-year term on the RIA Board. Since 2003, he has acted as chairman of Feetures.
“I am humbled and honored to be inducted into the Running Industry Hall of Fame. Working in the running industry over the last 23 years has been a very special experience, and I cherish all the friendships made during that time,” shared Gaither.
• Ed and Ellen Griffin started Fleet Feet Syracuse in 2000 and opened a second location in 2013. The Fleet Feet Syracuse team introduced several innovations that gained industry-wide acceptance, including their customer rewards program, a full-time medical and corporate marketing position, community rooms, and return on investment reports for supplier partners.
“We wouldn’t be here without our team and community partners in Syracuse, Fleet Feet, our suppliers and many of the great running business owners who are members of the RIA,” expressed Ed.
Gaither and the Griffins were honored during a Hall of Fame ceremony led by RIA executive director Terry Schalow and 2023 Hall of Fame Member Mark Sullivan at the RIA Summit.
Each year the Running Industry Association recognizes individuals who have contributed to the run specialty channel in some significant way. The RSHOF committee, consisting of past inductees and current industry professionals, reviews nominations and selects recipients each of the three Hall of Fame categories: Retail, Brand, and Industry Influencer.
Another highlight of the RIA Summit was the voting for
• “As a new brand, winning the Overall Best In Show Award for the R1 model is an encouraging affirmation from some of the most seasoned run specialty Retailers in the US,” says Mount to Coast country manager, Doug Rosenberg. Mount to Coast currently offers three core styles catered to long-distance performance running, and their overall win was particularly noteworthy considering the brand’s ‘newcomer’ status and 2024 launch.
• Emerging brand category winner Wahoo Fitness brought its smart treadmill, KICKR RUN, for show attendees to try for themselves and the experience made an impact. “This award reflects the momentum we’re seeing as the run community embraces the innovation Wahoo is bringing to the treadmill category,” shared Rich Vincent, director of business development.
