They say birds of a feather flock together. And for the employees at Runners Roost, a franchise located in and around the Denver area, the saying is especially true—at least 20 lovebirds have found their special someone while working at the specialty running store.
Of the 10 relationships, six couples have gotten married, one is engaged, and two have been dating long term. The general consensus among employees is that it’s not necessarily encouraged for them to date each other, but it’s not discouraged either.
Patrick and Emily Rizzo, who exchanged vows in Colorado Springs in December, were the latest pair to get hitched.
“About a year after I started in 2010, all these couples started getting together,” said Emily, 36, who now works as a physical education teacher at an elementary school. “I thought, ‘Well maybe I’ll meet my husband here.’ And I did.”
Her knight in shining sneakers was Patrick, 32, a professional runner who has worked at the store for about six years. It took him a few years and countless shifts spent together at the store to finally ask Emily out on a date.
The trend of serious relationships among staffers began in 2008 when Ed Riegert, 38, and Marissa McCroskey, 39, started their courtship.
Six months after Riegert joined the Runners Roost staff, McCroskey started working there, too, and they hit it off right away. After a year of dating, he proposed to her by hiding a ring in a shoebox at the store. They worked together at the Runners Roost for more than seven years, but they have since moved to Seattle where McCroskey took a job at REI and Riegert at Brooks.
“It’s crazy to think about all the people who met [at the store],” McCroskey said. “Running with someone is a great way to get to know someone. It encourages people to open up and relax in ways they might not otherwise.”
Foot Locker XC Results.
“I think we understand each other’s lifestyles,” Patrick said. “I always said that I’d never date a runner because we’re all too obsessive compulsive. Then over time, I realized that the only people who understand runners are runners. It’s hard to explain to someone, ‘Oh, I’m going out for two-and-a-half hours for a long run at 6:30 in the morning.’”
On the Rizzo’s big day, the ring pillows were running shoes and Emily made sugar cookies in the shape of sneakers. And not surprisingly, the ceremony was well attended by Runners Roost staffers.
For McCroskey, the streak of relationships is a testament to the close-knit group that’s developed over the years at Runners Roost. “I think it speaks to the importance of community and how running can be a great centralizing force.”
