The owners of new Albany business Wildside Running are hoping to not only outfit the area’s runners and walkers but also inspire more residents to get involved in the hobby.

Albany native Chris Phillips developed a passion for running in high school and has nurtured the hobby every since. After years of having to drive out of town to find the shoes and equipment he and others enthusiasts need, he decided to do something about it.

After nearly a decade working in construction, Phillips and his wife, Katie, made the decision last October to open Wildside Running, a retail store devoted to providing runners with the shoes, apparel and other equipment.

“I’m a passionate runner; I love the sport,” said Phillips. “I always have since high school and when I started getting more serious about it I started looking around the city and there was nowhere to buy running shoes or running clothes or nutrition. I asked around and everybody was travelling 75 to 100 miles away and farther to buy shoes and I just didn’t think that was fair for the Albany community.”

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