Specialty running stores don’t win on price – they win on relationships, and nothing builds them faster than showing up consistently where runners already gather. This panel brings together retail store owners who’ve partnered directly with Dirt Circus events to talk candidly about what those partnerships actually deliver: new customers, stronger local ties, and connections with runners who might otherwise buy a pair of shoes online and never walk through the door.
Moderated by Dirt Circus organizer Carrie Meng, the conversation will explore what it takes for a specialty store to become part of the fabric of its local running scene – not simply by sponsoring a race, but by becoming a regular presence in the community. Panelists will share how their ongoing involvement with Dirt Circus has helped root their stores locally, what they’ve learned about turning event involvement into year-round connections, and which parts of the relationship have made the biggest difference for their stores.
Attendees will leave with a clear-eyed read on the business value of event involvement – and a practical sense of what it takes to build a partnership worth sustaining.
*Additional panelist information coming soon!
