Lincoln Running Company

What Lincoln Running Company does

Lincoln Running Company is a family-owned running and walking specialty retailer founded in 1976 and operated continuously by the Rogers family for over 48 years from a single storefront at 1213 Q Street in Lincoln, Nebraska. The company sells running and walking footwear, athletic apparel (jackets, tops, tights, shorts, sports bras), accessories (socks, watches, glasses, gloves, hats), recovery products, and its own LRC Gear branded merchandise, alongside digital and physical gift cards. Its core offering centers on expert shoe fitting, training and nutrition guidance, and injury-prevention advice delivered by staff who are themselves runners across the full skill spectrum, supported by relationships with local medical professionals.

The business operates a dual-channel model combining a brick-and-mortar showroom with extended Thursday hours and an e-commerce storefront at lincrunningcompany.com that handles catalog browsing, account management, wishlists, and order tracking. Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time retail product sales and gift card purchases, with dynamic per-product pricing and free shipping above an unspecified threshold. Marketing is community-led rather than paid: a weekly Cookie Run partnership with The Cookie Company drives recurring foot traffic, the store surfaces Yelp, Google, and Facebook reviews, and it maintains organic social and email newsletter channels. The company has been named to the Top 50 Best Running Stores in America three times by the Running Industry Association, reinforcing its local brand equity. There are no disclosed funding events, no institutional investors, and no M&A activity; ownership and operations remain entirely within the Rogers family.

Name

Lincoln Running Company

Legal name

Lincoln Running Company

Website

https://lincrunningcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lincoln Running Company is a family-owned running and walking specialty retailer in Lincoln, Nebraska, founded in 1976 by the Rogers family, serving local runners, walkers, and fitness enthusiasts with footwear, apparel, accessories, and gift cards via a single storefront and e-commerce site.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Running Specialty Retail

NAICS

Shoe Retailers (4582), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458)

SIC

Retail-Shoe Stores (5661), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAMACAA

Performance Running Specialty Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail

SECONDARYCRAAAEAD

Running & Endurance Wear

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Athleisure & Performance Wear

SECONDARYCRAMAAAH

Trail Running & Outdoor Performance Accessories Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Outdoor & Adventure Equipment Retail

SECONDARYCRAMABAC

Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Sporting Goods Generalist Retail

Keywords

• Running shoes retail
• Athletic footwear store
• Running apparel sales
• Walking shoes retail
• Specialty running store

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Sells running shoes, walking shoes, apparel (jackets, tops, tights, shorts), accessories (socks, watches, glasses, gloves, hats), recovery products, and LRC branded gear through both physical store and e-commerce platform.
2. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase. Digital gift cards are delivered via email, never expire, and can be redeemed online or in-store. Only one gift card may be applied per online order.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lincoln Running Company is a specialty running and walking retail store that sells running shoes, walking shoes, athletic apparel (jackets, tops, tights, shorts, sports bras), accessories (socks, watches, glasses, gloves, hats), recovery products, and its own LRC branded gear. It operates both a physical retail location in Lincoln, Nebraska and an e-commerce storefront, serving individual runners, walkers, and fitness enthusiasts with personalized fitting, training advice, and gear selection.

Product overview

Lincoln Running Company is a specialty running and walking retail store offering a comprehensive portfolio of footwear, apparel, and accessories for runners and walkers. Their product lineup spans multiple categories including running shoes, walking shoes, athletic apparel (tops, bottoms, jackets), sports bras, socks, wearables (watches/glasses), accessories (gloves/hats), and recovery products. The company also sells its own branded LRC merchandise alongside third-party athletic brands. Additionally, the company offers gift card products (both digital and physical) as part of their service offering. The store operates both an e-commerce platform and physical retail location, providing customers with options for online ordering with shipping or in-store pickup.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LRC Gear: The company's own branded merchandise line including apparel and accessories.

Products and services

• Running Shoes Footwear designed for running, offered in men's and women's categories across multiple brands and support levels to suit different foot types and running preferences.
• Walking Shoes Comfort and support footwear for men's and women's walking activities.
• Jackets & Vests Men's and women's outerwear including jackets and vests designed for running and outdoor activities.
• Athletic Tops
• Tights
• Running Shorts
• Women's Sports Bras
• Athletic Socks
• Watches & Sunglasses
• Gloves & Hats
• Recovery Products
• LRC Branded Gear
• Digital Gift Cards
• Physical Gift Cards

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• RunFree ProjectminorOthersRunFree Project is referenced on the website with a link. Partnership appears to be community support or promotion alignment for running-related causes.
• The Cookie CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides cookies for The Cookie Run community event hosted every Wednesday by Lincoln Running Company. Partnership supports community building and local business collaboration. All distances and paces welcome at the event.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• REI: REI is a large outdoor and sporting goods co-op retailer selling running shoes, apparel, and gear across hundreds of stores and online, offering overlapping product assortment to LRC's customers.
• Zappos: Zappos is a leading online footwear retailer offering broad selection of running and athletic shoes with free shipping and returns, competing directly with LRC's e-commerce business.
• Dick's Sporting Goods: Dick's Sporting Goods is a national sporting goods retailer that carries running footwear, apparel, and accessories, competing with specialty running stores on selection and price.
• Nike (Direct-to-Consumer): Nike operates a large direct-to-consumer channel selling its own running shoes and apparel, competing with LRC on both pricing and brand allocation of Nike products.

Direct peers

• Running Warehouse: Running Warehouse is a leading online running specialty retailer offering shoes, apparel, and gear with selection and service comparable to LRC's e-commerce channel.
• JackRabbit: JackRabbit is a multi-store running specialty retailer (acquired by CriticalPoint Partners) selling running shoes, apparel, and gear with expert fitting, mirroring LRC's specialty retail model.
• Roadrunner Sports: Roadrunner Sports is a long-established running specialty retailer offering shoes, apparel, and gear via stores and online, directly comparable to LRC's dual-channel model.
• Fleet Feet: Fleet Feet is the largest U.S. specialty running retail franchise with hundreds of stores, offering running shoes, apparel, and personalized fitting services directly comparable to Lincoln Running Company's core offering.
• Big Peach Running Co. Big Peach Running Co. is a multi-location specialty running retailer offering shoes, apparel, and personalized fitting services to runners and walkers in the Southeast, directly comparable to LRC.

Others

• Brooks Running: Brooks Running is a leading running footwear brand whose products are likely stocked by LRC; its direct-to-consumer site is an adjacent competitor and brand partner to specialty running retailers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lincoln-running-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lincoln Running Company