Vancouver Running Co Inc

For owners Rob and Becky Smith, opening Vancouver Running Company was a two-for-one situation: just as their family was about to expand with the birth of their son, the couple decided to start a business while they were at it.

“It was an idea that spawned while I was pregnant, and after about six months of being on mat leave, we started to put the plan together,” Becky explains. She and her husband Rob started working on their business plan in July 2014, and by April 2015 they opened the doors at Vancouver Running Company, a store specializing in running shoes, apparel and gear.

Unsurprisingly, both Becky and Rob are avid runners. Rob's interest in running started early in life. “I started because my dad is a runner. We always spent Canadian Thanksgiving at the Victoria marathon and American Thanksgiving at the Seattle marathon, so Thanksgiving to me was an odd holiday because I never spent it at home,” he says with a laugh.