
It
all started when two guys met while
competing for rival schools. Scott
Dvorak and Eric Hichman were the
fiercest of competitors, each always
trying to out do the other. The fact
that Scott ran for North Carolina State
University, and Eric for the University
of North Carolina, only added fuel to
the fire. From that fierce rivalry
though, a friendship was spawned off the
track that lasted even after the two had
parted ways after college. Scott
continued to pursue his athletic career,
which later brought him to Charlotte to
be closer to his coach, Charlotte native
Jim Cooper. There, Scott made a home and
a name for himself as one of the top
distance runners in the United States.
Eric,
a Gastonia native, pursued his own
running for a short time, qualifying for
the 1992 Olympic Trials, but then left
his serious running life and Chapel Hill
for new opportunities in Asheville,
North Carolina. There, Eric worked for a
few years in sales for a major copier
manufacturer before going into business
for himself. In 1997, Eric opened
Jus' Running, a running specialty
store in Asheville, which caters to
runners and walkers of all levels and
abilities.
In
August of 2000 the two former
competitors reunited to open the first
Charlotte Running Co. in the Historic
South End District of Charlotte, just
South of Uptown. In 2003, Eric made the
decision to pursue other interests,
getting out of the business all
together.
In
March of 2004, the store moved from it's
original location in the Historic Leeper-Wyatt
Grocery Store Building, to a larger 2400
sq. ft. location at Dilworth Gardens
Shopping Center, in the Dilworth
Community of Charlotte.
Today,
the Charlotte Running Co. is still owned
by Scott, who continues to strive to
provide the Charlotte fitness community
with the best possible product and
customer service available......PERIOD!
The
Store and Scott continue to service the
Charlotte Running community, as well as
the Running Specialty Channel. The
Charlotte Running Company manages
several races throughout the year,
including two of Charlotte's largest,
the
Charlotte SouthPark Turkey Trot 8K,
and the
Charlotte RaceFest Half Marathon and 10K
Run.
Scott
currently sits on the Board of Directors
for two organizations.
Cross-Country For Youth, a 501c3
non-profit program designed to introduce
youth to the sports of cross-country
combined with the introduction of
character development concepts. Scott
also sits on the Board of Directors for
the
Independant Running Retailers
Association, which represents the
interests of running specialty retailers
and vendors across the country.