Queen City Running Company

What Queen City Running Company does

Queen City Running Company is a privately held specialty running retailer founded in 2016 and operating with 1-10 employees. The company runs a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront on Shopify (shopqcrc.com) selling running footwear, apparel, accessories, and nutrition products to individual runners and walking consumers across the United States. Its catalog spans 11 major running shoe brands (Altra, Asics, Brooks, Hoka, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, On, Salomon, Saucony, Topo), multiple apparel brands (including Brooks, Nike, Mizuno, Vuori, Craft, and several smaller regional running brands), and its own QCRC-branded private-label apparel line. The company also operates a parallel community-focused website (queencityrun.com) supporting weekly group runs, races, and a community events calendar.

The business model is one-time retail product sales through the e-commerce storefront, with individual unit pricing ranging from roughly $3.99 for accessories to over $309.99 for premium performance shoes, plus a closeout/clearance collection and free standard shipping on orders over $100. Payment processing is handled through Shopify Payments supporting major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay, and PayPal. The company segments its customers by use case into road/trail runners, walking and everyday athletic consumers, and running apparel seekers, with a horizontal segmentation approach rather than enterprise segmentation.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer only with no disclosed partnerships, no marketplace presence, and no physical retail footprint mentioned in the data. Marketing is limited to organic Facebook and Instagram pages, an email newsletter, and community-driven event engagement. The company is independently owned with no parent company, no institutional investors, no funding rounds, and no disclosed management team, partnerships, alliances, or regulatory actions.

Name

Queen City Running Company

Legal name

Queen City Running Company

Website

https://shopqcrc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Queen City Running Company is a privately held specialty running retailer founded in 2016, operating a Shopify-based DTC e-commerce storefront selling running footwear, apparel, accessories, and nutrition from 11+ major brands, supplemented by its own QCRC private-label apparel and a community events platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Running Retail

NAICS

Shoe Retailers (458210), Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Performance Running Specialty Retail (CRAMACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Performance Footwear & Apparel Retail (Trail/Hike) (CRAMACAI), Outdoor & Active Lifestyle Apparel Retail (CRAAABAL), Athletic & Performance Footwear Retail (CRAAADAA)

Keywords

• Specialty running retail
• Running footwear
• Running apparel
• Endurance nutrition
• Athletic accessories

Headquarters

HQ city

Marquette, Michigan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: One-time transaction revenue from selling running footwear, apparel, accessories, and nutrition products directly to consumers through e-commerce storefront. Products include major running shoe brands (Altra, Asics, Brooks, Hoka, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, On, Salomon, Saucony, Topo), performance apparel, and running nutrition supplements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Queen City Running Company is a specialty running retailer that sells running footwear, hiking boots, walking shoes, performance racing shoes, technical running apparel, sports bras, running accessories, and endurance nutrition directly to individual consumers through a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront. The catalog spans 11+ premium third-party footwear brands (Altra, Asics, Brooks, Hoka, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, On, Salomon, Saucony, Topo) plus a private-label QCRC apparel line. The business also operates a separate community events site that hosts weekly group runs and a regional races calendar.

Product overview

Queen City Running Company is a specialty running retail store operating an e-commerce platform built on Shopify. The business offers a comprehensive running footwear and apparel portfolio organized into two main customer segments (Men's and Women's), with product categories including Trail Footwear, Road Footwear (Neutral, Stability, Performance, Walking), Boots/Hikers, Apparel (Tops, Shorts, Pants, Sweaters, Jackets, Vests), Accessories (Recovery, Sunglasses, Hats, Gloves, Socks), and Nutrition. The store carries multiple third-party footwear brands including Altra, Asics, Brooks, Hoka, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, On, Salomon, Saucony, and Topo. Additionally, the company sells its own QCRC-branded apparel line including performance tech shirts, joggers, jackets, hoodies, and race gear. The store also features closeout/discounted items and provides community-focused content including group runs and race information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trail Running Footwear Off-road running shoes with aggressive traction, protective features, and rugged durability for technical trail terrain, from brands including Altra, Salomon, Brooks, Hoka, Topo, and Saucony.
• Road Running Footwear Pavement running shoes organized into neutral, stability, and performance categories for daily training and racing, from brands including Asics, Brooks, Hoka, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, On, and Saucony.
• Hiking Boots and Hikers Hiking boots and shoes with waterproofing and ankle support for trail hiking and backpacking activities.
• Walking Shoes Comfortable walking footwear with supportive cushioning for everyday walking and light activity, including walking and recovery brands.
• Performance and Racing Footwear Racing and speed-focused running shoes designed for race day and interval training, with lightweight construction and energy-return technologies such as carbon fiber plates.
• Running Apparel Technical running clothing including tops, shorts, pants, sweaters, jackets, and vests from brands such as Brooks, Craft, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, Vuori, and private-label QCRC, designed for performance and comfort during runs.
• Sports Bras Athletic bras with varying support levels designed specifically for running and high-impact activities, supported by personalized fitting services.
• Running Accessories Running accessories including recovery products, sunglasses, hats, gloves, socks, safety and visibility items, and wearable electronics from Garmin, Goodr, Nathan, Shokz, and Suunto.
• Endurance Nutrition Energy gels, chews, waffles, hydration mixes, and fuel products for endurance training and racing from brands including Carbs Fuel, GU Energy, Honey Stinger, Maurten, Muir Energy, Nuun Hydration, Precision Fuel & Hydration, SaltStick, Science In Sport, Skratch, Tailwind, UCAN, and UnTapped.
• Queen City Running Company Branded Apparel Store-brand running apparel including performance tech shirts, joggers, jackets, hoodies, vests, and race gear featuring the QCRC logo.
• Closeout Footwear Discounted previous model year running shoes offered at reduced prices for value-conscious runners.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/queencityrunningco
• Instagraminstagram.com/queencityrunningco/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/queen-city-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 Queen City Running Company