If the Shoe Fits...

To many people around the world, Sri Chinmoy is integrally linked with one activity: running. With all the races and athletic events organised in his name, over the past three decades, this is hardly surprising.

    The sport has grown in that time - not only in its spectators, but also in its participants. Even casual runners take it very seriously as a sport, ensuring they have a good training routine and, just as importantly, the right shoes.

    Ah yes, the shoes. Strangely enough, there was a time when elite athletes were not sponsored by shoe companies. For the record, the great Jesse Owens won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics wearing track shoes made by the Dassler Co. (Dassler's co-founder went on to form Adidas.) Ethiopian runner Adebe Bikila won the 1960 Olympic marathon with bare feet, claiming that he couldn't find any shoes that appealed to him. By the next Olympics, however, he had found the right pair. No longer shoeless, he successfully defended his title.

    Of course, today's superstars are usually loyal to their sponsors, but novice athletes shouldn't choose shoes merely to emulate their heroes. "Every set of feet are different," says Tarit Stott, manager of the Run and Become store in Edinburgh, Scotland. "Nike shoes might work on one kind of feet, Asics might work on another. We stock all the major brands, but we don't push one brand over another."

    He remembers that the store was once included in a local newspaper's survey of Edinburgh's sports stores. The survey included the question: What do you buy there? "The answer was, You buy what they tell you to buy, because they know what you want. You can't get a much better tribute than that."

    At Sri Chinmoy's request, Run and Become was founded in 1981 by Ongkar Smith, previously a quantity surveyor. The first store was opened in London in 1981. Though a keen runner, Ongkar had no retail experience. A friend, who ran a sports store in Nottingham, offered to help, provided that Ongkar never opened a running store within a 50-mile radius. At the time, Ongkar laughed at the thought. The idea of expanding so far seemed unbelievable.

    Now, there are three Run and Become stores, in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff. (No store in Nottingham, mind you.) On an average day, all three of them are crowded with customers. "Every year, the business has gotten bigger," says Ongkar, "bucking the trend, it seems. I keep thinking it can't get any busier, and -- hey presto -- it does!"

    Part of the secret, he believes, is the staff: all students of Sri Chinmoy. As running is such a strong part of Sri Chinmoy's activities, they know the products well. (Just to be certain, everyone on staff receives three to four months of training.) Just as importantly, they know how to serve. "From serving in the Sri Chinmoy Centres, they understand the whole concept. It sets us apart, seemingly, from most of the sports stores in the country. Customers are always telling us how nice it is to be treated civilly and served well by people who know what they're talking about."

    As it is located in central London, this store has had many celebrity customers -- and not just famous runners. Actor Pierce Brosnan, comedienne Tracey Ullman and tennis player Ivan Lendl, among many others, all seem to be runners in their spare time.

    "I served [Monty Python star] Michael Palin once without realising who he was," laughs Ongkar. "I served [comedian] Lenny Henry once and all the customers were going up to him for his autograph. I didn't know who he was! I don't watch TV, you see." (His staff, including his two daughters, will usually let him know when he has unwittingly served a superstar.)

    The Edinburgh store was opened in 1991 -- and Tarit was an obvious choice for the manager. A devoted ultramarathon runner, he is a former British 24-hour race champion, and a member of the British 24-hour team for the past four years. Also, he already ran Scotland's Sri Chinmoy athletic club, an integral part of the local running scene. So when the shop was opened, it had several ready-made customers.

    "In Edinburgh, certainly, we all live and breathe running," says Tarit. "The shop is an extension of the athletic club."

    Ongkar jokes that, based on the pattern so far, he must open a new branch every nine years. (The Cardiff store was opened in 2000.) If so, he has five years to determine where the next branch will be located. His friend in Nottingham has retired, so he can choose from almost anywhere in Britain... or elsewhere.

    According to some retailers and race directors, running is not as popular as it was during the so-called "fitness boom" of 20 years ago. Somehow, nobody told that to the customers at Run and Become. Expect them to run across Britain -- along Battersea Park, Princes Street, or the shores of Tiger Bay -- for many years to come.