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Nice work if you can get it
When Jim Hixson and partners Doug Pohlman and Jason Holroyd opened Ghisallo Running in September 2007, it was the result of an idea that been brewing for a long time.
The threesome had worked together for another store and had thought about starting their own store for several years. Their new store, which carries shoes, clothing and accessories to runners, is located at 606 North & South Road in University City.
“We had to fight off inertia and complacency,” Hixson said. “We realized that unless we did this now, we were going to be someone else’s employees for the rest of our lives.”
Part of the appeal of running is its flexibility, Hixson said. “Running is something which can be social or solitary and can be done on a person’s own schedule.”
Hixson said that running as a sport took hold about 35 years ago. “Running rose to popularity in the 1970s as a result of Frank Shorter’s performance in the 1972 Olympics in Munich,” he said. “Marathons and charity runs have kept the interest alive.”
Ghisallo Running has enhanced its profile locally by sponsoring events, such as Girls on the Run, a running and self-esteem-building program for third through eighth-grade girls, and the Frosty Five Run. The business has also taken advantage of its position next door to The Center for Mind Body Spirit, which offers yoga classes for runners.
There have been challenges along the way. For example, the store has experienced problems in obtaining products. “Suppliers don’t want to spread their products too thin,” Hixson said. “They wanted us to prove ourselves first.” The partners have combated this by holding “trunk sales” for different sportswear companies.
Hixson admitted that the business is weather dependent and that he is happy that the store has survived its first winter. There are now spring events around the corner, including the University City Memorial Day Run that Ghisallo Running will help sponsor.
All of the Ghisallo Running partners are themselves devoted runners. “It’s nice to be able to come to work and talk about your passion all day,” Hixson said. “Our interest in running helps us to be supportive of the people who come into our store.”
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