"Haddonfield Running Company opened in March 1997 when I was in college at Lehigh, so I had no idea it even existed. Then, in 2005 while working at NB as a footwear engineer and living in Boston (never again), I was approached about buying the store and rolled the dice to get back to SJ.
For the first year, I lived in the back of the store on a futon and then with TJ for another year until we opened the Mullica Hill location. I moved into the house on the property and the cottage at the back became the store (the house is now the store).
From there, things took off full speed! We opened Moorestown, moved the Haddonfield store to a bigger location on the sunny side of the street and eventually added Medford. We eventually switched the name to RunningCo. since that is our website. Today we are a 4-store family known as the RunningCo. of South Jersey."
— Dave Welsh
"Engineer, runner and concert goer with too much energy to sit complacently. My goal is to make everyone who loves to be active or social be able to do it right here in South Jersey. Between the 4 RunningCo locations, The Mile Pub and Grill and the final piece of the puzzle coming soon in my home town of Haddon Twp., Reunion Hall this will soon be possible.
I love my Philly sports teams (go Flyers and Eagles) and my local concert venues, breweries and eateries!
Cheers!!"
TJ’s earliest memories of RunningCo. are from the fall of 1997 when his dad brought him into the shop to buy his first pair of running shoes for high school cross country. In the summer of 2001 he had the opportunity to start working at the shop as a part time employee and he never left. TJ loves hitting the roads of Collingswood for a run or crushing it at Burn Boot Camp. He is honored to call RunningCo. his 2nd family!
We believe that the individuals who work at the RunningCo. of South Jersey really help define us! So take a second and learn a bit more about the familiar faces you see in the stores and around town on the trails!
Chase started running in order to help his mental and physical health. Originally from Canada, his first half-marathon was the “Hypothermic Half.” It was -40 outside (that’s not a typo!), but he had the time of his life! Ever since then, running has been his passion. Chase also loves travelling and going on adventures with his partner. A priority for Chase is being a huge advocate and member of the LGBTQ+ community! He is also vegan and loves animals (especially cats and turkeys!).
Colton’s first experience with South Jersey Running Company started during freshman year of high school in 2015, when the Paul VI XC team would meet up for practice at the Wednesday night group runs. Throughout high school, Haddonfield running company was his go to spot for shoes and spikes. Colton joined the running company family this year after deciding to take some time away from College. Hopefully you’ll see Colton at one of our locations before he heads to St. Joe’s in the fall.
Dani has been running since freshman year of high school, after an impulsive decision to join the cross country team the day before the first practice began. Her running career has awarded her a college scholarship and a Boston Marathon qualifying time. Outside of working at RunningCo, her hobbies include running locally, drinking coffee, and petting dogs. Her future goal is to obtain a personal training certification so she can help others reach their health and fitness goals.
Dolores (“Dee”) started her running career as a track and field athlete at Audubon H.S. While running was her first love, she soon found that she could combine her love of running and cycling with her passion for swimming and decided to concentrate on triathlons and other multisport events. Over the years, Dee has competed in just about every distance road and triathlon race. She has been a Nationally ranked triathlete for several years and still enjoys competing in races both locally and nationally. After working for a local racing company for over 15 years, Dee believes that she has found her “home” at the RunningCo. of South Jersey.
Ed has been with South Jersey RunningCo. since 2007. He is a veteran of over 58 marathons, including Boston 5 times, with a few ultras and a great many other races throughout the years. Ed is also a UESCA Certified Running Coach, so the next time you are in our store feel free to pick his brain about your upcoming race or talk about a race you may want to put on your calendar.
Ed W. graduated from Holy Family University where, as a 35 yr old, he ran on the inaugural cross country team. He jokes that he never won a race, but never came in last, either. He has been in the running shoe industry for over 6 years. Along with being a group fitness instructor, fitting runners and non-runners alike allows him to help people reach their goals.
Hollie grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia, and moved to New Jersey in 2013. She began working at RunningCo. and worked the floor until 2020 when she moved to the West Coast. She currently still manages the RunningCo. social media. Hollie began running in 2010 but swam competitively beforehand and through college. Her favorite running distances include 5ks and half marathons, and trail races.
Jeff grew up in South Jersey. As a youth, he spent most of his time swimming, and he still coaches Masters swimming part time. Running was always part of his exercise routine and a big part of staying in shape for swimming. Jeff has been in the specialty running industry for over 22 years. He joined RunningCo. in 2010.
Some of Kevin’s favorite memories are in his high school visits to the RunningCo. and picking up xc/track spikes from TJ and crew. Kevin believes he really grew into his own as an athlete and a member of the SJ running community because of the store, and feels blessed to have been a part of the RunningCo. team since 2012. To this day, Kevin has run just about everywhere in South Jersey and is adamant in his pursuit to help maintain the strong community that is South Jersey Running!
Laura joined the RunningCo. team in May, 2007. She grew up running locally in high school and collegiately at Rowan. Since then she has competed in a variety of race distances from 5k to the marathon. Laura works as an RN, and she enjoys running with friends and pursing other hobbies in her free time.
Lora has been a part of the RunningCo family since the spring of 2007. Although running has always been in her life (her dad was a runner and race director during her childhood), Lora didn’t start until after college. For her physical and mental health, running is now part of her every day life. She has run 5k’s to marathons, completed sprint and half-iron distance triathlons, and traveled all over the world to run races. She is a middle school teacher, but working at RunningCo. on the weekends and during her summer break has been the “fun job” she loves.
Running became a new thing for Matt in about 2016. He never ran in high school or college, and it was always a form of punishment for him when he played sports. Choosing to do it more regularly has been one of the best decisions he believes he has made; running not only helps him physically but helps his mental health, as well. Being able to work with people and help them reach the same goals that he works towards in the sport has been very rewarding for Matt!
Mimi is a mother, a wife, a retired teacher and a lifelong runner. She likes to say that she has been running since before time. When she started running, “girls” weren’t supposed to run, so with a few of her friends they proved everyone wrong by starting the very successful Haddon Township girls cross country team. Unfortunately, despite her efforts, Mimi’s college was not ready to support a girls running team, so for those years she ran with the boys. In the 90’s she worked at her husband’s running store (where Dave Welsh bought his first real pair of running shoes). Along with her husband, she has organized and volunteered at numerous road races. But her real claim to fame is her ability to have had every injury known to man. She is a wealth of knowledge in this area and is happy to help out anyone with similar struggles. Mimi is thrilled to use her experience and be a part of the amazing RunningCo. family.
Scott got his first shoes at the RunningCo. and hasn't turned back since. His favorite running memory is out-kicking Cecily Tynan at the Rothman 8k. When he is not teaching, you can find him working the weekend shift somewhere in the swamps of Jersey. He's happy to start you on your running journey whenever you see him.