If the CRC guys were a fanatically worshipped boy band, Eric Fruth wouldn’t be the roguishly charming bad boy or the clean cut blonde leader of the group.  He’d be the one guy cut from the band just before they made it big.  Thankfully, he’s better suited to the running store life, and he’s here in Columbus to serve the local running & walking community.  Eric’s love of running began as a high school freshman back in Indiana, when his parents made him go out for a sport. Jumping into the running lifestyle wholeheartedly, Fruth transformed himself from a 27-minute 5k to a PR of 14:34 by the end of his collegiate career at DePauw University. After a couple All-American awards, he briefly moved on to coaching at the college level.  Since the opening of the CRC’s doors in 2004, co-owner Eric has served as coach to our training groups and high school camp as well as being one of the shop’s resident shoe geeks.

Matt graduated from local Olentangy High School running track and cross country before moving on to DePauw University. He received multiple all conference honors in track and helped steer the DPU cross country team to an appearance at the D-III NCAA Championships. After college he found himself teaching English in Japan, where he was fortunate enough to join the Usuki city running team and compete in the historic 490km Ekiden through Oita prefecture. Returning to the states, Matt soon found himself working at the Chester County Running Store in West Chester, PA. There he started his quest for improvement in the marathon, which is currently a 2:32. It seems everywhere he turns it involves running. With the Columbus Running Company he hopes to bolster the local running community- from beginner to advanced- and hopefully give to others what running has given to him.

Jim is a new face at the Columbus Running Company, but well known among many running circles. Originally from Defiance, Ohio, Jim graduated from Michigan State with a Big Ten Championship and All-American honors. Professionally he spent time running with Fila and Reebok, and was an original member of the Brooks' Hanson's Distance Project, where he first honed his unique running store prowess. At the CRC he hopes to sharpen his skills and teach know-it-all's Matt and Eric a few new things.
Jim finished 6th at the '00 U.S. Olympic Trials. The past few years Jim has excelled at the marathon on a national level, with a personal best of 2:14.  He has yet to set any records on Hal.
Along with shoe duties, he serves as a coach for store team members and those involved in CRC training groups.
    

One of these fellers calls Pataskala home. The other lives in a field up near Delaware with his wife. We'd tell you which is which, but you ought to just come in the store and ask these boys yourself. If you like muddy jeeps, big tires, the Cincinnati Reds, and lots of cereal you just might get along with this pair. They both are a constant on the CRC store team, and can tell you a lot about running and shoes. You can read more about them both by clicking here.

Chase is currently a student harrier at Otterbein College in Westerville studying perhaps the most interesting subject in academia, math. A man of logic, he understands that a size eight shoe does not fit a size nine foot. While he freely admits that he may not be the coolest guy on the team, his status was elevated when he was offered a position at CRC. He compliments Liz well. While Liz is busy plastering her artistic vision of paint and foil on our walls, Chase takes exceptional pride is his ability to decorate the store. Perhaps his biggest undertaking stemmed from his vision of properly displaying prices on all the shoes on the wall, something so complicated no man or woman has ever even made an attempt.

Luke made his debut into the CRC family as a store team member upon his graduation from Otterbein College. No man who has passed through a CRC doorway has a greater free spirit than Luke. His mind rides in the backseat as his heart speeds through the city of life. It wasn't long before Luke felt the urge to take off to the West Coast. There he lived in a tent and built trails for people like you and me to enjoy. Run on, perhaps. As so many tales twist, however, it was a woman who brought this drifter back to Columbus. Upon his return, Luke came to the realization that running is a piece of his soul. Thus he began his comeback into the CRC fold, lacing up the shoes for daily runs and working odd hours between teaching jobs. The owners of CRC are proud to have his services compliment the business, and are thankful to that pretty woman whom he so loves.

Now with two stores open, the CRC needed a bright and handsome and pretty and intelligent and personable and funny person to help provide exceptional service and take care of some chores. Ben fit most of the above qualifications and happened to live between both CRC locations - a match made in heaven.
You may have heard of this young man from Westerville. As a standout distance runner

Hal is the Columbus Running Company's diamond in the rough. He is the original Track and Field supercomputer, created by the Japanese in 1983 and bought by the U.S. government in an effort to demolish the U.S.S.R. Olympic presence.
Hal trained budding Olympic hopefuls in events such as the 100m dash, javelin, long jump, and more. Marquee benefactors of Hal's state of the art technology included Carl Lewis, who won 4 golds in the 1984 Olympics, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, 1988 Olympic gold medalist in the heptathlon.
Unfortunately time catches us all, and Hal found himself replaced by Nintendo's Track and Field, complete with Power Pad.
Recovered from the streets of New York, Hal has found a new life here at the CRC, training visitors. At the very least he keeps the kids busy while parents try on shoes.

That's right ladies and gents, boys and girls- Hal's long lost brother has been found. The CRC co-owners had heard rumors that Sal may exist, but Hal always denied the existence of Sal. Why would one of our best employees, Hal, not want to share the fact that he had a brother, Sal? Well, let us give you a glimpse into the soap opera that is the Columbus Running Company.
Hal is righteous and good. Sal is, too. However, sometime in the mid 1980's Sal turned bad. Like many athletes, Sal shamed himself by turning to drugs. Performance enhancing drugs. He merely wanted to be as famous as his brother Hal. In his prime Sal trained Olympic athletes, just like Hal. His break though, and simultaneous fall out, came in the '88 Olympics when his prized pupil, Canadian Ben Johnson, tested positive after besting Carl Lewis (one of Hal's protégé's) in the 100m final. The Konami family (Hal and Sal's last name is Konami) was ashamed and vowed never to speak of Sal again.

Raised from the cornfields of Indiana, she's slow, steady, but an exceptionally tough worker. Reliable, too. And look how Troy's golden locks flow in her slipstream.
We are proud of those tattoos- a show of commitment we expect from all employees. In 2006, pretty Bess got that much more special, as we gave her a brand new dead man's switch. It's kind of like a pacemaker or artificial hip. Beloved Bess.