Running Room Inc

Have a positive update. Received an email from customer service and went to the store and exchanged the gloves with Eric. Very pleased that they took the time to make this experience smooth. A fixed mistake deserves a positive review in my book.

I miss the Commerce Court Running Room because it was pretty spacious and they even had a room to store everyone’s belongings during group runs. In addition, there was the staircase by the entrance and plenty of floor space for runners to stretch post run.
Good thing some of the staff moved over to the new location, since they’re great! Staff were always friendly and helpful, plus I never have any issues with any lack of customer service.
The new location, Downtown Yonge, is just a very short walk from Commerce Court, plus conveniently located at Yonge and Wellington next to the Irish Embassy Pub making it ideal for post run brunch.
I was there at the Grand Opening in 2013 and don’t usually shop at this location, but have been dropping by every now and then if I’m in the area just to say hello to the staff.
Recently, I’ve been doing my long runs with their Sunday running group and just enjoyed everyone’s friendliness and support. Come join us for free group runs if you can 8:30am on Sundays. They also have free group runs on Wednesday at 6pm with various distances depending on schedules of the running clinics.
Like most Running Rooms, this is one of their smaller locations, but considering the space they have, I believe they’re doing a good job with the layout and displaying their products very neatly. Merchandise is always well organized and selection is varied. Such a good one stop shop for all your running needs.
Prices are sometimes high, but they often have sales and always a coupon available online or in their magazine.
Happy running!

I visited the Running Room looking to get some new shoes as I’m starting a training program. I was a runner many years ago, but I was never much into shoes so I really didn’t know where to start. I decided to start by staring at the shoe wall. Eventually (because this wasn’t really getting me anywhere) I asked for help. The woman asked me what I wanted shoes for and I said «outdoor running», because literally that’s how I’m starting my training — by running outside on trails. She laughed in my face and said «well these are obviously all running shoes», and had a good chuckle with another employee.
Way to make someone feel like an outcast. She proceeded to ask me whether I needed a blue, yellow, or red type shoe. I told her I didn’t know and that this was very new to me. She then scoffed and said maybe I should come back some other time when I know more.

I just visited the store today and walked away unimpressed. The salesman performed a superficial assessment of my gait and suggested I have a low arch and flat foot that needs motion control trainers. I am an experienced marathon runner and know that I have a neutral foot strike with a strong arch. I mentioned that I don’t consider my arch to be low and that I have never had any problems running, yet he still insisted on making me try out trainers with «motion control» and shoe inserts. Even after I said that the shoes feel horrible and don’t fit he still wanted to promote the inserts and heavily cushioned shoes.
Instead of promoting trainers with 2 inches of foam cushioning the running room should listen to what the customer wants. It is now a well established theory that all the extra cushioning and «motion control» does not improve a person’s gait but hides the imperfections.

A huge location clearly geared towards the Type-​A inhabitants of Bay Street, this Running Room expects its customers to work hard and play hard.
Staff are uniformly friendly, experienced runners. They go through the motions – sizing shoppers’ feet, assessing their gate, all the same tricks you see at any higher-​end sneaker store in the city.
If you want to talk about your next 10 K, they’ll receive you with greater enthusiasm, and suggest one of their clinics. If you’re a novice runner, they’ll be supportive, but it’s easy to feel a bit intimidated.
If you’re a heavy pronator, they’ll direct you to one of the few models they stock to meet your needs. If you require more support, they’ll tempt you with an innersole, but really you’re better off visiting another store that offers shoes with greater support.
Maybe it’s a bit much to expect a greater familiarity with fitness in general. I’ve bought my share of sneakers here, always with add-​on seamless socks. The shoes perform well on the treadmill, but aren’t suited to the easily-​bored gym-​goer. A trip to the elliptical leads to pain and blisters, and the shoes lack sufficient support to see me through a solid weight-​room session.
Clothing is likewise geared to advanced runners with advanced running bodies.
So maybe it’s fair to disregard this post. I’m sure real runners with a bit of cash to spare will find the Running Room the answer to their prayers. Unfortunately, I must take my search elsewhere.

Running Room Run Club
Running Room Commerce Court store
30 Wellington St W (bet Bay & Yonge Sts)
Toronto, ON M5L 1E8
+1 416−867−7575
TTC YUS Line: King station or Union station
Store Hours: Mon-​Fri: 9:30am-9pm, Sat: 9:30am-6pm, Sun: 8:30am-5pm
Free Group Training Runs: Wed 6pm & Sun 8:30am
The Running Room is a running gear store that exists in throughout Canada and in the States (in MN & IA). Their stores provide free group training runs, similar to that of Nike and its stores. Running Room’s program is called the «Run Club».
For those located in downtown T., the closest stores are this Commerce Court store and the Rosedale store (next to the Summerhill subway station). Both host their runs on Wednesdays 6pm and Sundays 8:30am.
I tried out the program back in April, a few days after having run the Umstead 50 (I made it up to 90 miles, but had to pull out due to injury). They had us split into various speed groups, each accompanied by a running coach or two, though it was hard to distinguish who were the actual coaches because they were not wearing uniforms like they do at the Nike Store on Bloor. The speed groups all ran different distances and were distinguished by what particular race distance people were training for (e.g. 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, & Full Marathon).
Since I had run 90 miles three days prior, I took the easy way out and ran with the 10K group. I was surprised that the legs were working and that I was able to run with the group along Lakeshore. It was a pretty run along the lakeside harbour, although it was all long city sidewalks. We ran a little over 3K in 20+ minutes.
After the run, we returned to the store for a post-​run stretch. There were no refreshments given out. They did provide bag check, in the form of closet storage space. It is a good program and they seem to have a large core group (larger than the Nike group), however, it wasn’t as social as the Nike run. If I had to choose, I would go with Nike. But, there isn’t necessarily a need to choose sides because Nike meets on Mon & Thu, whereas Running Room meets on Wed & Sun, so why not hit up all of these free runs?