And fall 1978, he plans to open “The Oregon Runner,” a running store. It’ll be located in the Salem Plaza and will feature shoes, clothing and literature for runners. Welch and one of his four partners will work in the store, offering their expertise to beginning and experienced runners. – Connie Whitaker for the Statesman-Journal.
Been a dozen years since my first book. Thought I might want to write a memoir. Took more than a decade to realize I could just leave out the deeper darker secrets. Decided some folks were just not ready for that. Me, most of all. Maybe focus on my running life.
You know I kept notes, but I have forgotten a lot. One foggy chapter is The Oregon Runner, the first running store in Oregon’s capital city. Five partners and a seventeen-page legal agreement. It could have gone better.
But I got out early, reasonably unscathed and immediately left town. Lost touch with all involved, pretty much.
Until now.
Claudette Groenendaal. Early Customer.
My very first memory of you was when I went to the old store for the first time. You had come back from a run and there was no one in the store and you were on your back with legs in the air stretching. All I saw were legs, no face, you were doing an elaborate stretch. I was shy and felt like I was interrupting you, and honestly I don’t know if I even had a specific purpose to go into the store other than to check it out.
I am pretty sure I only worked in the new store, so those memories are more prominent than the old store. I just remember how excited I was when Ron asked if I wanted to work there.
And afterwards when I thought about that first incident of meeting you at the old store I wasn’t sure if my mind was playing tricks on me because you were too famous to be working there.
Ha! My fifteen minutes. But now look who’s famous. Claudette became US champion over 800m in 1985 and 1986 as well as NCAA champion over 800m in 1985 and over 1500m in 1984. PBs 1:58.33 (800m), 4:04.86 (1500m), 2:37.89 (1000m)
Our store was THAT good.
Gary Fleshman. Partner.
Here is what I recall, I hope it helps. At the time (before store) I was working for Gary Bjorkland Sports in Minneapolis. I was there to learn the Business so when I moved back to Oregon I could open a store. I can’t remember who, but someone told Me about this guy named Jack Welch that was living in Salem and wanted to open a running store. I don’t Remember how we got in touch but when we did, you told me that you were working on a deal that Involved two other people (john and jim, both lawyers) but if I was interested we could meet and see if it worked for me to come into the deal.
We met, and I thought that you and I had the same vision for a running specialty store, I wasn’t as sure that the two lawyers were as committed to that vision. But they wanted to open the store and maybe go “a little” broader to include some high school sports. I jumped in, based on sharing your vision and agreement that you and I would run the store.
If I remember correctly, we started with New Balance, Tiger and Brooks. Nike was not sure we were good enough to sell the brand. I believe that you worked your magic on Al Miller and he got us opened up. We weren’t blowing the world up, but we did make progress establishing Oregon Runner as a place where Runners could come, whether they were out shopping or just coming in dirty and sweaty from a run. A real runners’ place.
The two lawyers constantly pressured us to add tennis and aerobics wear for women, Which made it difficult to build the dollars for core running shoes and apparel. The two lawyers also Wanted a mall location, where we were was not “upscale” enough. They pressured to move into the new Salem Center which was soon to be opening. I remember the cost being double or triple the cost of the space we opened in and also would likely make it an uncomfortable place for regular runners to visiit.
John and Jim had their sight on a place their wives would love to shop. I disagreed and decided to move on. They refused to give me Any of my investment back, but I moved on anyway. I vaguely remember that you were having some of The same feelings about the direction and pressure from them to make the changes.
Laurel James/Super Jock and Jill was a model of what you and I prized. John and Jim, not so much.
Our initial accessible location was conducive to being a runners’ spot, a place where runners would come. Being in a mall, was not a place where people felt comfortable coming to before/starting/after a run Location was also non threatening to beginning runners and a place where we could offer clinics and fun runs from.
Aside from the two lawyers, I was hopeful… Maybe if we had only listened to them and stocked A LOT more aerobics apparel for women.
Some of the first personnel cutbacks at Nike were attributed to missing out on the growth of aerobics.
John McCulloch. Partner.
John Robert McCulloch, Jr. passed away on Friday, July 25, 2008, after suffering from multiple myeloma and attendant nerve damage. John was a loyal “Oregon Duck,” receiving his B.S. and LLB from the University of Oregon. He loved reading, spending hours reading aloud to his children and trading books with friends. John loved running. As a lifelong runner himself, he pushed, promoted and inspired others, including his children, to run. Running was a way to compete with others, but more importantly to compete with himself and to always “work towards improvement.” While serving as a Salem City Councilman, he helped to establish running trails throughout Minto-Brown Island and Bush Park. As a birthday gift to himself, he hosted nine-mile cross country birthday runs (which by rule only he could win) in Spring Valley. In recent years, he walked ten miles on the same route with good, willing friends.
Jim Durham. Partner.
Haven’t been in contact with James W. Durham. Looked online. We were really never in contact. Me, law school dropout; Jim, Deputy Attorney General. Different kind of guys – he became a big shot. If you Google Jim, you will see he ran – unsuccessfully, as a Republican – for Governor, served as President of the State Bar and was Chairman, Board Of Directors, Oregon Public Broadcasting Foundation.
Dogged as I am and too eccentric to use a telephone, I actually joined LinkedIn and sent Jim a message. Have yet to hear back but getting bombarded with LinkedIn garbage, which is why I never joined in the first place.
Ron Cross. Partner.
He was the Track & Field Coach at South Salem High School. Cross’s teams won 21 district conference championships during his tenure and included a long list of college athletes and some nationally recognized competitors. And a helluva nice guy.
We almost lost my dad on April 15, 2024, when he suffered a stroke. Life has forever changed in a really hard way. But true to form, my dad has risen to the challenge with humor and grace. My dad is so kind and grateful for each person who has cared for him and helped him with his daily tasks. As the patriarch of our incredible family, my dad has always led by example. He loves his family and has taught us to value the time we get together. Looking through my pictures this morning, I’m so grateful for every moment we get to spend together. I love you dad! Thank you for setting the bar so high. We all benefit from the love you show our family. – Lora Cross
Steve Carrigg. First Salesman.
When I arrived at Oregon Runner in January 1979 there were five owners and Dave Castle, the manager. I was the first salesman to be hired. Dave referred to me as the assistant manager, but really there were only two of us.
The small store at Salem Plaza was cozy and easily accessible from the street. Local runners and high school athletes from North and South Salem High Schools would drop in all the time because it was so easy to get to.
Early on we had a fairly good inventory of shoes from companies like Nike, New Balance, Saucony, and Etonic. It was fun to help local runners find the right shoes. They could test them out by running inside the Salem Plaza indoor open area, maybe even outside on the sidewalk. Not sure about that.
One time a Nike shoe salesman named Russ Remington tried to unload a huge batch of shoes they wanted to get rid of. Dave managed to get Nike to take several shipping boxes full of shoes back. Nike frowned on that kind of return, but Dave was persuasive, I think.
Castle and many of the early employees were accomplished local runners. We took training seriously, and the store work schedule was structured to allow for training. That was an important aspect of working at the Oregon Runner.
Moving to Nordstrom Mall across the street promised to be a boon for the store. It wasn’t. While it was a beautiful store, overhead and a different clientele hindered the running store mystique. It would have been better to stay in the small location and provide service for actual runners rather than cater to customers who came to the mall. Because the Nordstrom Mall was more upscale, runners didn’t seem to run in off the street as much either.
Clancy Devery. Sales Clerk.
Loved working at the Oregon Runner. As a young runner just out of high school it was a dream job. At that time the shoe industry made a giant revolution. In a span of six years I went from training in Converse low tops to running in Nike Day Breaks and Tail Winds. From running the 1320 in 4:10 to running a mile in 4:10. Being young, working at a store selling shoes that improved my life, and which I felt could improve the lives of other runners.
I mostly worked with Dave Castle, Steve Carrig, and Kelly Bonney. They all were around six years older than I was. Had all graduated from college. They were young, interested in music, books, girls, and running. To quote you, “ Running was young and so were we.”
In 1977, Clancy, then a Junior at South Salem (OR) coached by Ron Cross, set a U.S. High School Record of 2:23:05 at the Trail’s End Marathon in Seaside, Oregon. Really good store.
Dave Castle. Store Manager.
The Oregon Runner – 1978 to 1981
I first found out about the Oregon Runner store in the fall of 1978. At the time, I was working for the State of Oregon as a file clerk. I was on the fourth floor of the Public Utility Commission. The entire floor was open, all of it dominated by file cabinets. I was one of five file clerks whose job it was to file paper documents, mostly reflecting reports of truck weights taken at weigh stations. That is all we did for an eight-hour shift. I was in charge of filing everything from O to S. I was reading the Want Ads daily.
Sometime in late November or early December, there was an ad in the paper seeking an assistant manager for the Oregon Runner. I believe one of the skills required was “experience as a runner” or something along those lines. I couldn’t believe my good luck. I was a runner! I applied (how did we do those things before the internet?) and got an interview. I remember John McCulloch and Jim Durham (two of the five owners) came to interview me at the PUC building. It went well, and sometime later they notified me that I got the job.
I started in December, working with Jack Welch and Gary Fleshman. They were co-owners of the store, along with McCulloch, Durham, and local teacher Ron Cross. Jack and Gary ran the store.
The store was in the downtown Salem Plaza, a block-sized collection of shops, with parking on the roof. The tenants included Zales, Columbian Optical, Leeds, Hickory Farms, Motherhood Maternity, House of Cards, House of Uniforms, etc. There was no real “anchor” store; but if you needed to get your eyes checked, pick up a birthday card, and buy a beef stick – it was perfect.
The store was small, but adequate. It opened to the inside breezeway, rather than on the street front. When I started work, Jack and Gary showed me the ropes. Gary (a former Oregon State University runner) and I began doing runs together. Although I had never worked in retail before, I turned out to be a good salesman.
Sometime in December, John, Jim, and Ron approached me about becoming manager. I do not know what happened, but Jack and Gary were being bought out. I was offered $12,000 a year, which to me seemed an enormous amount of money. I happily accepted, despite having no experience managing a business. Jack and Gary were gone with the start of 1979, and I mean gone. I did not see them at all.
I had to learn how to manage a business quickly. It was the definition of “on the job training.” I have a letter I wrote to my girlfriend (now my wife) in late January of that year, relating that managing the store was hard work and agonizing about all the decisions that needed to be made.
Nevertheless, I loved working at the store. In that first year, most of the clientele were runners and high school athletes. We didn’t have too many casual walk ins. I hired my good friend and former teammate Steve Carrigg as my assistant manager, and we had blast hanging out at the store. Many runners would come to the store to hang out with us. Both Steve and I were still training hard, and working at the store was very conducive to our running schedules.
I remember getting some pressure from the remaining owners to increase sales by trying to upsell customers. Push them to buy socks or whatnot. Neither Steve nor I were big on high pressure sales tactics. The store, however, was doing well. We were getting established; people began to know that we were a place where they could get good shoes and good advice. We were doing promotions, sponsoring running activities, and selling enough shoes to stay ahead of our expenses. It helped that our overhead was low (rent at the Salem Plaza was not exorbitant) and we could run the store with just one person.
Looming on the horizon was a disaster.
The three owners wanted the big-time. Being built across the street from the lowly Salem Plaza was a new indoor mall – the Nordstrom Mall. The Oregon Runner would be moving into the new mall upon its completion in February 1980. Just in time for the global recession of 1980-82.
The space for the Oregon Runner in the Nordstrom Mall was beautiful. The store was in a prime location at the top of the escalator. It had an open front, carved from wood in the outline of the state of Oregon. Inside was spacious, with nice dressing rooms and back-office space. It was grand!
Until it wasn’t. The Salem Plaza was somewhat rinky-dink, and (literally) a bit low rent; but it was where the Oregon Runner belonged. Runners coming in sweaty or dressed in old training gear was perfectly fine. The Nordstrom Mall was clearly more “high end” – with nattily dressed folks coming in who knew and cared little about running. The poster of Bill Rodgers that hung behind the cash register in the Salem Plaza store was nowhere to be found. Maybe that is how you make the big money, selling to casual non-runners; but we lost something in the move across the street.
We were busy for a while and needed to hire more help. At one point, in seemed every runner in Salem worked there. This list may not be exhaustive, but part-time employees included: Michael T. Smith, Kelly Bonney, Claudette Groenendaal, Rick Groenendaal, Erik Kavarsten, Debbie Blumenstein, Bernie Rice, Clancy Devery, Andrea Johnson, Debbie Knytych, and Jim Hutchinson.
As manager, I dealt with the shoe reps. They were not what I expected. I assumed they would be ex-runners, now working for shoe companies. They were not. They were salesmen. I particularly remember the Brooks rep. He was a middle-aged guy, slightly overweight; looked like he had never run a step in his life. He was nice enough, but he (like all the reps) wanted me to take shoes that the company wanted to unload because they were unpopular. Nike was the most difficult to deal with. Several times we wanted to have a sale, but Nike would not let us undersell its big Salem clients. If Meier and Frank charged $49.99 for the Daybreak (remember, it is 1980), we could not charge less.
Sometime that summer, things started to go south. Our rent was three times what it had been in the Plaza. The utilities were higher too. There was a monthly loan payment on the money borrowed to build the new store. Payroll and payroll taxes had to be met each month. Only after all these obligations were taken care of could we pay for shoes. When we did not keep current with the shoe companies, they began to cut us off. Without shoes to sell, we could not generate revenue. It was a vicious cycle; all of it compounded by the opening of Phidippides, a rival running specialty store. By the fall, we were in dire straits. It was depressing to have people come in wanting a shoe, only for us to tell them we were out of that size or didn’t have the shoe at all. Of course, the economy was tanking at the same time.
By late October, the owners wanted a change in management. They wanted to bring on someone with more “business experience.” I was OK with the idea, as I did not want to be the captain of what was clearly a sinking ship. I would be kept on as an employee and as a roving sales ambassador, doing promotions and traveling to schools and such, looking for bulk sales. The new manager was named Dan. He had a background in auto sales and maybe some other things. At that point it did not matter if they brought in Lee Iacocca; nothing was going to save the Oregon Runner.
Dan turned out to be a fun-loving manager who liked to spend store cash on cookies and pizza for the employees and seemed blithely unconcerned with anything (including reporting my income for 1980 to Social Security).
Late that fall the owners tried to raise cash by franchising the name The Oregon Runner. The franchise fee was going to be $10,000. If the store had been healthy and booming, it might have been a good idea. Two brothers in Medford were interested. They were both runners. In December, Dan and I went down there to provide guidance and information. All I remember about that trip is all of us getting drunk that night and then going for a run the next day. I can’t remember any business discussions (although that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen). Even at the time I thought: “why don’t these two guys just open a running store, what is the big advantage in calling it The Oregon Runner?”
The Medford version of The Oregon Runner never happened. I don’t think they opened a store at all, which was wise given the overall economy.
By January 1981, I was laid off from the Oregon Runner. I collected unemployment until I landed jobs working as a swing shift custodian at Western Oregon University (recession-proof employment) and waiting tables at The Spaghetti Warehouse.
I did not keep close tabs on The Oregon Runner in 1981. I know Steve Carrigg remained working there and Dan, the fun-loving manager, left sometime that year. That fall, the inevitable happened. The Oregon Runner closed its doors.
In the December 29, 1981, edition of Statesman Journal, under Marion County Courts, the following appeared:
Western Security Bank vs. John R. McCulloch and others, doing business as The Oregon Runner; complaint seeks $25,999 allegedly owed.
Postscript:
Working at The Oregon Runner was mostly great! It was a dream job for a serious runner (which I was at the time). I worked with good friends and made new ones. I learned from the experience that I never wanted a career in retail. There was a good deal of anxiety about the direction things were headed financially, and frustration about not being able to do much about it. I am glad I got out when I did, as Steve has since related how dreadful things were in 1981.
Dave went on to become a Ph. D. History professor. Division 1, I might add.
Jack D. Welch. Partner.
Remember one day I sold a single pair of shoe laces for eighty-one cents. A pair of laces. Only sale of the day.
Who the hell came up with the idea to begin with? Obviously, not Fleshman.
Don’t recall how we got together. We were the usual suspects, alleged running celebrity, definitely respected coach and a couple of money boys. First time with Gary – our partnership a fait accompli – I hopped into his car as he loaded a Christian rock “n’ roll 8-track and I wondered, my God, what have I done?
Like I said, I have almost complete NOT total recall. Post-stroke, his not mine, Ron remembers more. Do have some notes. Just not about the store. Read my 1978 running diary. Legendary knee whisperer Dr. Stan James says, ‘there’s nothing he can do.’ Apparently, I competed in the Diet Pepsi 10K National Championships in Purchase, New York. No recollection whatsoever. Bill Rodgers beat me yet again.
Anyway, when all is said and done and mostly forgotten, Ron Cross, Gary Fleshman and Jack Welch continue to insist the original concept – specialty running emporium in the Salem Plaza – was a great idea.
Nearly a half century later, Mrs. Cross, Barb, has a somewhat different opinion. “I wish we’d put the money in Nike instead.”
In December 1980, if you had invested $1,000 in Nike’s (NKE) initial public offering (IPO) your investment in the athletic shoe, apparel, and equipment giant would be worth approximately $900,000. This assumes you reinvested your dividends.
Already know what you are thinking. Yes, it is so – both The Oregon Runner and Nike were at their best when I was in their employ. More true than not, you just lose something whenever you move into the big mall.