First let me say the parking lot is awful. Don't even try to park there. Park at Whole Foods and walk over. Trust me on this one.
Unlike the parking lot, the store itself is actually very big and spread out. They have 100 feet or so of jogging track inside so you can actually test out those new shoes you're trying on. They offer stylish and practical gear for the beginning to experience runner. The clothing racks are spread out so you can actually browse the selection. They not only have a good variety of quality running shoes but they also have foam rollers, sports goo (Gu, and another brand made from honey) sports bras, compression gear, capris, pants, shorts, tank tops, T-shirts, singlets, and many other accessories that you didn't know you needed.
They have a community room in the back of the store where they meet for group yoga, group runs, and often times packet pick up for local races. The staff at Road Runner is what really makes it stand out. Eric is always there to answer any obscure running shoe question you may have, the rest of the staff is simply phenomenal as well. They never rush or pressure you, they're simply there to help. A true sense of community and runner pride is felt here, it's really nice! :)
Rhode Runner is a prime example of "you get what you pay for". The clothing, shoes, and accessories are a little bit more pricey but they are all quality products that with the right care should last you for many runs. If you check in to the store on yelp they will very often give you some sort of a discount. Last week I checked in and got a coupon for $10 off any $50 purchase. Thanks for $10 off my new running shoes Yelp! Today I went into browse gloves and upon checking in I unlocked a "get $20 worth of merchandise for $10" deal. $20 gloves for $10, that's 50% off, SWEET! The store will have random sales too, for instance...the week of the 4th of July, anything in the store that was red white or blue was 20% off. Can you say new blue running shorts? They also periodically have a clearance rack with last seasons clothes (and sometimes shoes!) in the rear of the store. Make sure to check that out, hidden gems in there! With a little patience and diligence there are bargains to be found here.
Lastly, check out the stores website for all the fun happenings. They're a pretty social group: group yoga, group runs (beer after!) free timed 5k's, and their tent is at every health expo and running event in the state, all the time! Often times, product reps will come to group run night (Wednesday, 6pm) so you can take their products for a test run, and sometimes they even let you keep it!
They lose one star because the parking lot is just that bad, but I love Rhode Runner! read more
