Trailheads

On her own and admittedly a little nervous, Megan Searfoss attended The Running Event for the first time in 2015. She was new to running specialty, having just opened CT Run Co. in a tiny storefront in Ridgefield the year prior, and was just beginning to find her way in the industry.

When she spotted two women walking toward her in the halls of the Austin Convention Center, she instinctively introduced herself as a newcomer. They turned out to be Susie Stein and Nickie Luse from the established shop Up and Running in Dayton, Ohio, and they welcomed her with open arms and let her tag along. To this day, they have remained good friends.

“I remember thinking that first time, ‘Wow, this is really amazing, I want to be involved, how do I get more involved?” Searfoss says. “Everybody has a smile on their face; it’s a happy place at TRE.”

Searfoss hasn’t missed a TRE since—she’s attended for a total of 11 years—because she says the event is essential to her business. Her one-door store now has three locations; she opened another storefront in the thick of the pandemic and a few years later acquired another business that was closing its doors after 15 years. She was able to retain the knowledgeable staff.

Over the past five years, Searfoss has brought her whole buying staff of footwear, apparel, and accessories buyers. They meet beforehand to determine their strategy and make the most of the show floor, planning out who’s going where and seeing what in a big Google document.

To make the most of education programming, the team spreads out and each person goes to a different learning session. Then afterwards, they all circle up for a debrief, sharing what they learned with each other at the show and those back at the store.

Outside of scheduled appointments with the shop’s regular vendors, she encourages her team to walk the perimeter to discover the emerging and smaller brands deserving their attention. It’s how she discovered Hyperice one year and ArtiKen running bracelets another year, both brands that crushed sales during the holidays. “That’s the fun part,” she says.

More fun parts: She always looks forward to Brooks Running’s party on the final night. It was especially memorable in 2022, when CT Run Co. was named Store of the Year and Best Running Store in America. To be celebrated meant so much to her, she says.

“It’s just a really happy time because it’s like bumping into neighbors on Main Street in our small town,” Searfoss says. “There’s so many happy faces, everybody knows everybody, everybody is taking a moment to say hello, how’s your business, what’s going on.”

Either that year or the following year, Searfoss’s staff spontaneously got tattoos at 1 AM after the party. Every year since, there’s always a question if somebody will turn it into a tradition.

It would take a lot for Searfoss to miss TRE. Last year after being tripped and shattering her shoulder at the New York City Marathon, she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to make the event. But three weeks post-surgery, she was on the show floor, albeit with her arm in a big cast.

She’s excited to sleep better and move more freely at this year’s event.

“The thought of not going to that annual event would make me really sad because it is such a time to celebrate what we all do,” Searfoss says. “The time we spend every day grinding in our businesses, trying to make the best experiences for our consumers—it’s a time to sort of revel in all of that by catching up with friends and brands celebrating you. I think it’s pretty awesome.”

To join Searfoss and other specialty retailers at The Running Event, register here. Early Bird Pricing is in effect until Thursday, September 24, 2026.