MEET THE TEAM

Our Amazing Team

Rory Tunningley

Manager

Favorite place you have raced? I went to college at the University of Texas and we raced a cross country meet at Princeton University. Besides it being rainy and cold it was a beautiful campus and cool place to be for the weekend.

Favorite hobby? I love going to the movies and eating at new restaurants.

Favorite restaurant in Austin? Ramen Tatsu-ya…it’s the best go and try it!

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around? I’m a shoe nerd and love to run in as many shoes as I can so I can have personal experience in them. It helps me when I am assisting customers to find the right shoe!

Bio: I have been running competitively since I was 10. I am a two-time Texas state champion in the 3200 and Cross Country. I ran cross country and track at the University of Texas at Austin and I qualified for the Olympic marathon trials in 2016.

Enrique Castillo

Assistant Manager

Favorite place you have raced? Muleshoe Bend in Spicewood, TX.

Favorite hobby? Outside of running I enjoy hanging out with my dog, listening to live music, creating music and reading.

Favorite restaurant in Austin? Easy Tiger. They have my favorite sandwich in Austin.

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around? 3-4. A few for trails, a few for roads.

Bio: I started running in 7th grade and I’ve been running ever since. I recently got into ultra-marathons

after watching the documentary on the Barkley Marathons. I moved to Austin in 2016 and have never experienced such a large and supportive running community.

Josef Stone

Fit Specialist

Favorite place you have raced? District race at Lockhart. PRd by a massive amount and had fun eating BBQ with the team to celebtrate.

Favorite hobby? Of course, running is a pretty big part of my life. You can pretty much catch me training with Paul Carozza pretty much yearlong for cross country and track. I’m a 800m/1600m guy at heart, but I love the 5k as well. Aside from that, chilling with my dog Leo is a must, I also love longboarding, and jamming to punk roc music with my friends.

Favorite restaurant in Austin? It’s basic, but Torchy’s Tacos. Sure the tacos are great, but I love the place more for the atmosphere it has and the countless memories me and my friends have made there.

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around? 2-3 max. I like to have on shoes for my fast, tempo. and track sessions, and one with a little more cushion for my long runs.

Bio: I was born and raised here in Austin for the last 17 years. I love traveling, especially to see my dad’s side from all over the states, as well as my mom’s side who all reside in Munich, Germany. I’ve always been a very active person, and sport has played a huge role in myself since I can remember. For me, running, was for the longest time a punishment, something that I just had to do to stay in shape for soccer season, but that really changed my 7th grade year of middle school. To my surprise, my coach ended up putting me in the mile. I ended up getting third place, and from there, a passion was formed.

Ellie Yoffie

Fit Specialist

Favorite place you have raced? Marshfield, MA in early September.

Favorite hobby? Spending time in the dance studio, working on and riding road bikes, chilling with my dog

Favorite restaurant in Austin? Conscious Cravings. It was the first place I ate when first visiting Austin.

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around? I usually keep two pairs, one for long distances and one for short.

Bio: One of my friends recommended I try running sophomore year of high school. Since then it has served as a social outlet, stress reliever,  and study interest. I worked at a running store in Boston before moving to Austin for school.

Joe Cooper

Fit Specialist

Favorite place you have raced? Lake Tahoe 100 Miler was my favorite race.  The trails there are a nice mixture of soft, needle dust singletrack with large boulders that must be leaped over or dodged to avoid.  The course is one of the hardest in the country with huge runnable sections that wear you down but also technical climbs (more vertical than Western States) so steep your heels never touch the ground.

Favorite hobby? I have a campervan that I’ve taken all over the country to run and race.  It’s a great home away from home and gets me as close to the trails as possible so I can wake up and start running right away.  I’m a car enthusiast as well and have had over a dozen cars since I started to drive.  Currently I own a Jeep that I love to take offroad.

Favorite restaurant in Austin? La Mancha is probably my favorite cheap place to eat.  It’s a go to tradition before big races.  I also love Uchiko for a fancier night out.

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around? Four.  I usually have a minimal and a maximal pair of shoes for both road and trail.  Typically if I’m on shorter runs I want something that I can feel the ground in.  On long runs or if I’m training for longer distances I typically want something that’s more protective and with a rock plate if I’m on the trail.

Bio: I started running to stay fit after college for shorter distances but couldn’t get excited about anything over a 10K.  It wasn’t until my early 30’s that I really started to run regularly though.  When I moved to Austin I met several trail runners that got me excited about trail and ultra distances.  The long distances in nature are great therapy for my mental health and are helpful to keep me balanced.  In the short time since I started trail running I have raced over 20 ultramarathons/marathons but never on a road more than 10 miles.  I do regularly run on the road as part of my training though.

Julia Howell

Fit Specialist

Favorite place you have raced? My favorite race is the Tejas Trails Tinajas race at Colorado Bend State Park, I just really love those trails, they’re hard and I always walk away with some sort of new scrape or bruise.

Favorite hobby? I’m a big napper, but also love going to restaurants or wine bars with friends, as long as I don’t have to drive I’m down for whatever!

Favorite restaurant in Austin? Beer Plant for brunch, Bouldin Creek for every other meal.

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around?Only 2 right now, the Altra Escalante and the ASICS NovaBlast, but I really want to like Hoka, I’ll get there!

Bio: I’ve been in Austin for about 16 years now, I moved here for work and have just found my spot.  I started running about 4 years ago, and I’ve always wanted to run a marathon and when I finally decided to go for it I just really loved it!  I love running trails and have aspirations of running an ultra.  My new found obsession has also helped me find a new passion and new career path! I’m currently a student at Texas State working on my Physical Therapy degree!

Josh Brusuelas

Fit Specialist

Favorite place you have raced? Dallas Marathon

Favorite hobby? Skateboarding, or studying!!

Favorite restaurant in Austin? SwayThai

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around? 4

Bio: I moved here to Austin in 2017 to study for Law School! Besides running for fun, I like to listen to music, skate, and read! My hairstyle changes about every 3 months, and you’ll never catch me not wearing my Oofos™.

Rachel Baptista

Fit Specialist

Favorite place you have raced? The Armory in New York! It just felt so surreal running on the same track as so many amazing runners had raced on before me. Plus, that sound of feet pounding an indoor track is so intense!

Favorite hobby? I am a huge Belieber, so I listen to a lot of J Biebs and hang out with my English Bulldog Chunky.

Favorite restaurant in Austin? Oh man that is so hard! I think I’ll have to go with the trusty Maudie’s on Lake Austin Boulevard. I go there about twice a week and order the exact same thing!

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around? I usually have about 3-4 pairs in rotation. Putting on a different pair than I wore the day before makes me feel more jazzed up to get out the door.

Bio: I got in to running because I wanted to get in shape for soccer my junior year of high school. I quickly realized that running was where my passion lived and ended up going to the University of Colorado for college. After a much needed break from demands of college running and injuries, I decided to try and run a marathon. I fell in love with running high mileage and qualified for the 2020 Olympic Trials running 2:33 in the Houston Marathon. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

Charles Russell

Fit Specialist

Favorite place you have raced? My favorite two races were one with friends through Central Park & my first Marathon in Austin.

Favorite hobby? Reading nonfiction, drinking good Italian coffee, eating chocolate and yard work.

Favorite restaurant in Austin? Chez Zee & North Restaurants

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around? I know I have access to as many shoe options as I want but I prefer to stick to one model. I usually have about 8 pairs of that one model though!

Bio: I have lived in Austin since 1981. A friend introduced me to running in 1978 and it has been a favorite past time of mine ever since. I believe the key to a long and healthy life is to never stop moving and eat one piece of chocolate every day…at least!

Amy Magness

Fit Specialist

Favorite place you have raced? Marathon, TX. The scenery in west Texas, while desolate, is by far the best.

Favorite hobby? Traveling, running, biking, and taking my paddle board out.

Favorite restaurant in Austin? Gabriela’s downtown. Their Sunday brunch is such a good time!

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around? I usually have 2 pairs of running shoes in rotation. However, I have a shoe for every activity (lifting, biking, cross training, etc.)

Bio: I grew up playing sports and tend to be competitive at most everything except running. Running for me is a way to decompress from the daily hustle and bustle of life. It wasn’t until moving to Austin in 2012 that I found my love for running and have since completed two marathons, a handful of half marathons, and numerous other races.

Bill Stone

Board Certified Pedorthist

Favorite place you have raced? Ironman Austria. Picturesque scenery, fast course and the whole town partied long into the night till the last athlete crossed the finish line.

Favorite hobby? Being a working dad and husband it is difficult to find any extra time for myself, so I try to ride my road bike or MTB as much and as fast as I can. Music is something I have always loved and it seems there is no better time than now to see so many great live concerts in our city. I try to attend a show every couple months.

Favorite restaurant in Austin? Wow, there are so many! My current favorite is Eurasia in Oak Hill. I really like the Flying Noodle ramen soup and sushi of course. Our family loves to cook, so when we occasionally want take-out it’s usually Torchy’s or P-Terry’s.

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around? I’ve always recommended having three kinds of running shoes – a light pair, a long distance trainer and a pair for the trails. You will, in essence, become three different people to keep things fun! I like shoes that feel natural and disappear on my feet. I currently really like the New Balance Beacon as a casual shoe. When I run these days it’s usually on technical trails in the Saucony Guide ISO or Altra Lonepeak.

Bio: : I started riding motorcycles at a very young age then raced in the golden era of motocross in California till I was eighteen. While in college I worked at an original Fleet Feet store and started doing more endurance events. This led to many road marathons, trail ultra marathons and Ironman triathlons. I became a Pedorthist in 2001 after being frustrated with running shoes and how they work against our bodies. Since then I have been privileged to help thousands of people to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Whether that was being able to walk the dog again, making the school team, crossing that first finish line, making someone feel better after a life-changing event, win a world championship or even a few gold medals – I’ve strived to do my best with each and every one of them.

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