Finding My People and Passion for Running
My name is Shawn King, and I founded of For the Run in 2019. A few years before that, I started running after being away from it for over 10 years—and realized I was completely wrong. Discovering how the running community had developed online was a life-changing moment that introduced me to people who would alter the foundations of my life.
A Passion for Helping Others
My parents have always been helpers, even when it made their lives harder. Witnessing this firsthand fueled my ambition to work harder, prioritize others, and eventually create a small business that combined my love for the running community with a desire to make a difference.
The Drive to Do More with My Talents
I found running at a crucial time in my life. My 9-5 job had changed and my creativity was lacking purpose. Along with that, my mental health was suffering. As I began addressing my mental wellness, I remembered my early post-college years, when I was constantly on the verge of starting graphic shirt companies but lacked the "why."
Running and helping others became my motivation. I wanted to create apparel for a community that had impacted my life and support important causes. This passion led me to launch For the Run.
Evolving the Business
The first few years of For the Run were filled with highs, but I couldn't understand why running apparel was so expensive. This pushed me to start phase two: performance apparel. I spent 14 months studying materials, development, production processes, and finding the right people to help me create high-quality, durable products at a more affordable price.
Making a Fresh Start in the Triangle
For the Run is now in its third phase of growth. We've moved just outside Durham, North Carolina, and are discovering incredible running communities in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and Charlotte. This region deserves a local brand that can grow with and give back to these inspiring communities.
Developing Apparel for All
So, what's next? I'm reworking all our items to meet the needs of every runner. It doesn't matter what you look like, how you identify, or what you believe in. If you run, you're a runner, and I want our apparel to be inclusive and accessible.
As a team of one, this won't happen overnight, but I'm driven by the belief that For the Run can provide apparel for runners of all shapes, sizes, and paces.
How Can You Help?
It's simple: purchase some items and give them a try. Let me know what works and what doesn't. Your feedback is crucial for growth. Together, we can achieve incredible things. So, let's get going.
