The Run Parlour

 

After a decade of running in Huron County, Peter Meades decided to turn his entrepreneurial spirit toward improving the experience of runners all over the region, and opened The Run Parlour in Clinton, the proverbial heart of the county.

 

Meades, and his partner Alex Ullman, founded the store after a number of years of testing the market with popup shops selling shoes and Meade’s own brand of running clothing, Inherit The Earth (ITE).

 

While Meades enjoyed running as a kid, it wasn’t until 2014 when he took up the sport seriously again as an adult. He was soon searching for better shoes and, especially, the perfect pair of running shorts. When nothing he found was exactly right, he delved into designing and ITE was born.

 

He spent the pandemic on a mission - to run every road in Huron County with what he coined “a garbage chariot”, cleaning up the side roads and highways, all while running in ITE and sharing the experience with his social media channels.

 

He soon discovered that he lived in a bit of a running “desert”, with no outlets carrying running gear all along the south western edge of Ontario. The popup shops proved so successful that Meades and Ullman knew that they were on to something and the retail store was opened in August of 2023, catering to runners from Owen Sound to Sarnia.

 

In addition to the flagship Inherit The Earth line of clothing, the store carries other popular athletic wear such as Lululemon and Saysky Copenhagen. Meades has created a unique partnership with local Olympian Julie Ann Staehli, and New Balance, her sponsor, is featured heavily in the store, including the popular New Balance Rebels. Meades points out that good footwear is important to anyone who is on their feet a lot, so the store has become a destination for health care workers, teachers, retail professionals, servers and others. Besides clothing and shoes, the store carries everything you need to begin running, including hand-held water bottles, a must for hydration.

 

Meades’ other business is as a well-known concert promoter in the area, and with so much experience in event-planning, it was a natural evolution for The Run Parlour to begin hosting running clubs, nutrition workshops and races. In fact, he is in the planning stages of a unique 5K social run, with a surprise destination that will feature a concert with a mystery headliner. Watch

The Run Parlour’s social media for details on “Band on the Run” as they become available.

 

Inside this classic, small-town storefront lies a runner’s dream - a mecca that is the envy of its urban counterparts. Not only does Meades and his team supply every piece of gear that you may need, the running clubs and events provide a complete running community to support and nurture the sport in the area. www.runparlour.com 5 Albert St, Clinton