PASSION FOR OVER 30 YEARS

RUN | WALK | HIKE | WORK

In 1991, Hawk Harper and five other Sojourners Running Club Members decided to open a small running store just north of Cougar Stadium on Canyon Road in Provo. The “Runner’s Corner” was located in a 14 by 14 foot corner (thus the name) of a co-op business owned by one of the members of the club. Everyone put in an equal share of $500 and each was expected to work one day a week for free in order to build the business. Hawk’s son Golden—a complete shoe geek—began working fill-in shifts at age 9! Runner’s Corner was based on the love of the sport these runners had—and Hawk’s passion for how efficient, low impact running technique could transform others the way it transformed him. With their passion and love for running, the “Runner’s Corner” eventually came to occupy most of the building.

Within the first few years, each of the partners either moved or decided to opt out leaving Hawk and Cheryl with a very big decision in the spring of 1995. When a sale of the business fell through and the Provo location lease ran out, they decided to mortgage their home and try and make a go of it instead of losing money that they didn’t think they could afford to lose.

Hawk continued to work his real full-time job, but after several years of working at the store part time while hiring other managers (and still not profiting), a decision was made risk all they owned and to have the family attempt to manage the store themselves. This allowed them to devote real time to what they loved, which was running and their community. Cheryl became the bookkeeper, accountant, and office manager. Golden started working almost daily and developed a passion for helping those with chronic foot conditions and other injuries. Eventually their oldest daughter Amber started working, and daughters Krystal and Summer started fitting customers—and still haven’t stopped. .

Between Cheryl and Hawk’s St. George Marathon victories, Cheryl’s five Olympic Marathon Trials qualifications and Utah State Marathon Record, Golden, Amber, Krystal, and Summer's State Cross Country and Track titles as well as several National Championships in USA T&F and Summer’s two National XC All-American and NCAA All-American honors and Olympic Trials qualification it is no wonder the store slogan is appropriately “Where the Run Begins.” And through it all—it doesn’t matter if you’re world class or have never run a step in your life—you’ll feel welcomed when you visit.

RUNNER’S CORNER TODAY

Runner’s Corner is an innovative, industry leading running and walking specialty store based in Orem, Utah that has been voted one of America’s top ten running stores and the “Best of Utah Valley” numerous times. Being focused on injury prevention and restorative foot care, we eschew traditional (& phony) foot scanners and so-called pronation based “gait analysis” and the associated pushing of stability shoes and supportive insoles that typically leave people worse off long term. We favor more up to date scientifically based root cause and long-term solutions. While we may sell you a stability shoe or an insole, we’re more likely to recommend more natural options, exercises, or adjustments to your running form. We believe this will cost you less money in the short term, and have you walking or running happily for much longer.

This approach has led Runner’s Corner to be a pioneer among running stores, pioneering unique customer service focused on improving running technique and natural foot care. Most specialty shoe stores do either foot scanners or treadmill based “gait analysis” that is really just an analysis of pronation and is a marketing tool designed to sell the most profitable shoes (and supports). The problem is that amount of pronation hasn’t been reliably linked to injury by research---and worse yet---assigning shoes based on this model has been shown to result in more injuries, not less. At one point in our history, Runner’s Corner did treadmill “gait analysis” (pronation analysis) and over the course of that year or so found that injuries and shoe returns doubled!

As a result, Runner’s Corner has always focused on information and products for improving foot strength and efficient, low impact, running technique. Research shows that foot strengthening and running form improvement are arguably the two best ways to reduce running injuries and improve long term enjoyment and performance.

OUR TEAM

OWNERS:
-Hawk & Cheryl Harper
-Golden & Brita Harper
-Christian and Summer (Harper) Allen
-Krystal (Harper) Butler

FLOOR MANAGER:
-Seth Payne

(Bios to come)