John Stanton COE of the Running Room

. Founder of the Edmonton-based retailer, the Running Room, John M. Stanton was born in Alberta. In the 1980s, a short fun run with his youngest son offered a wake-up call to improve his overall wellness and he began running, entering road races and marathons. John has since competed in over 60 marathons, hundreds of road races and numerous triathlons, including the Hawaiian World Championship Ironman competition.
Noticing a gap in the market for people who needed the resources and support to find a way into, or back into, running and a healthier lifestyle, John set up shop in an 80 square-foot space in 1984. The Running Room is now a 118 store, 1,300-employee leading retail operation in Canada and the United States. Recognized three times in the last five years as one of Canada's 50 best managed companies, the Running Room sponsors several hundred running and walking events each year, creating opportunities to fundraise millions of dollars for community and charitable initiatives.
A member of the Order of Canada and author of eight books on running and walking, John Stanton is regularly featured in the National Post,Globe and Mail, Vancouver Province, and CBC programs across Canada. His pre-dawn runs would ultimately help close to a million people do everything from learning to run to finishing a marathon.
He is a recipient of the Dr. Harold N. Segall Award of Merit, recognizing his significant contribution to the promotion of cardiovascular health in Canadians. In 2010, the Canadian Medical Association awarded him the Award for Excellence in Health Promotion. In 2011, he was inducted into the Canadian Retail Hall of Fame.