To be fair, The Running Event (TRE) can be a daunting experience, even for the affair’s most seasoned attendees. Between some 4000 attendees and more than 350 exhibitors, a full slate of education on Tuesday alongside additional learning opportunities on Wednesday and Thursday and a plethora of after-hours (and before-hours) events, TRE newbies often use words like “overwhelming” and “intimidating” to describe their first run at the event.

Even though the 2025 edition of TRE takes place in a new location – San Antonio’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center – after years in Austin, TX, TRE promises more of the same December 2-4.

Fortunately, a few seasoned industry pros are TRE regulars and are here to dial down the intimidation factor and offer some guidance on optimizing the TRE experience. 

“Engage and connect.”

Industry vet Russ Coillot has attended TRE as both a retailer and an exhibitor, a reality affording him a unique perspective on the annual event. Before joining Wrightsock in 2021 as the North Carolina-based sock brand’s director of global sales and marketing, Coillot began attending TRE in 2012 as the operator of a Fleet Feet store in California. 

His overriding advice to maximize the TRE experience: Take advantage of the rare opportunity to mingle with peers.

“Engage and connect,” Coillot says. “As a retailer, I hung out with so many other retailers because that’s where I got good ideas and information. Sit at tables with people you don’t know. Strike up a conversation with someone sitting next to you before the start of an education session or while at the bar. These conversations can be amazingly impactful.” 

“Make relationships. Don’t JUST network.”

The co-founder of apparel brand Janji, Dave Spandorfer attended his first TRE in 2012 while he was still in college and Janji was in its infancy. The brand has grown mightily in the years since with some key relationships forged at TRE.

Spandorfer’s first bit of advice: “Make relationships. Don’t just network.” He says the running industry isn’t about short-term wins, but deep and lasting relationships. In fact, a few of Janji’s longest-term partners, including its third-party warehouse for the last decade, were individuals Spandorfer and his co-founder Mike Burnstein met at their very first TRE. 

“This industry has long memories,” Spandorfer says. “Have long intentions.”

“Plan ahead.”

Attending TRE is an investment of time and capital, pulling run shop owners and operators out of their store and away from life’s other responsibilities. 

“I’m thoughtful about anything that takes me away from work and home and I want to make the most of the experience,” says Andrea Lehmkuhler, the co-owner of Virginia-based Point 2 Running Company.

As such, Lehmkuhler enters TRE with a defined plan. For TRE Tuesday, she identifies the education sessions she wants to attend and puts placeholders on her calendar. For Wednesday and Thursday on the show floor, she sets up appointments with those she absolutely has to see. 

“You have to plan ahead because once you get to TRE, it’s a whirlwind,” says Lehmkuhler.

“Plan the end before you start.”

Lehmkuhler attends TRE knowing her goals. At the expo, for instance, she’s prepared to fill gaps in her assortment, like the pickleball companies she made plans to see last year, and meet with key partners to discuss strategic marketing and event plans.

“I want face time to pitch ideas and know what they need to get behind an initiative. That’s not something I can do so easily on a random Tuesday in Virginia,” Lehmkuhler says.

Dave Kazanjian, owner of Massachusetts-based Whirlaway Sports, calls it “planning the end before you start.” 

A veteran of more than 15 TREs, Kazanjian and his sidekick, Maggi Murray, define the brands they need to meet at TRE and what they must accomplish in those visits. They’ll also prepare necessary documents, like inventory reports, to inform conversations and guide on-the-floor purchases. 

“We know our goals before we ever walk into the expo hall,” Kazanjian says.

“Leave time for opportunity.”

As important as pre-planning is to tackle important goals, Lehmkuhler says it’s just as critical to schedule time to explore. 

“You can schedule yourself to an unhealthy threshold, but you need to give yourself time to search out things that interest you,” she says. “You can’t be afraid to say ‘no,’ either.”

For instance, Lehmkuhler limits line showings from footwear brands at TRE, something she can generally accomplish back in Virginia. At TRE, she defers to the unique things only available at the event, such as meeting with brand leaders, searching out new products or services and connecting with retail colleagues for dinner.

“I plan enough so it’s valuable to me going in, but I also leave time for opportunity to discover,” Lehmkuhler says.

“Remember the niche things.”

Attending nearly every TRE over the last two decades, Fleet Feet Huntsville (AL) owner Suzanne Swift is especially attuned to scouting novel brands and products. At past TREs, she discovered Heali, a kinesiology tape infused with magnesium and menthol, as well as sustainable apparel brand Pressio.

“Those are two brands I wouldn’t have seen if not for TRE,” Swift says. 

While the industry’s major footwear players occupy the largest booths at TRE and Swift professes a love for her existing partners, she says it’s the 10-by-10 booths carrying niche items that keep run specialty particularly special and most attract her attention.

“You never know who will be the next big thing,” Swift says. 

“Don’t slow down on the last day.”

TRE can be an exhausting experience. Early mornings. Late nights. Extensive time on one’s feet. It’s only natural to want to retreat early.

“Especially for introverts, the show can feel like a slog toward the end, but don’t slow down during the last hours of the show,” Janji’s Spandorfer urges. “Talk to other vendors, get emails and set up future phone calls. You might be tired, but you might also meet your next best partner.” 

Adhering to that strategy has paid off for Janji, as Spandorfer says collaborations with the likes of Merrell and La Sportiva resulted from interactions over TRE’s final hours.