The Running Well Store

KC’s only locally owned run-specialty retailer — three metro locations built by Kathy Gates since 2013, self-described as “KC’s only Local Run Specialty Store.”

Description

The Running Well Store operates three locations across the Kansas City metro — Northland (Barry Road), Lee’s Summit, and Mission, Kansas — making it the only locally owned run-specialty retailer in the market. The shop specializes in expert shoe fitting using gait analysis, carrying top performance footwear brands (Brooks, HOKA, ASICS, On, and others) with a service philosophy rooted in matching each customer to the right shoe rather than selling volume.

The business traces its lineage to Sports Medicine Metro Walk and Run, a Barry Road store opened by Bob Lafferty in the mid-2000s. Kathy Gates, then working in advertising at VML in Kansas City, cold-called the store, completed a six-month internship under Lafferty, and purchased it in March 2013, rebranding it as The Running Well Store. A second location in Lee’s Summit followed in 2015, and a Mission, Kansas location opened in 2018, giving TRWS metro-wide coverage on both sides of the state line.

Gates, who was born in Kansas City and considers the city her hometown despite stints in California and New York, has made community integration central to the brand. The store runs group events, sponsors local races, and has built a loyal customer base throughout the decade-plus of operation. December 2023 marked the store’s 10-year anniversary.

Ownership and history

Year	Event
c. 2006	Bob Lafferty opens Sports Medicine Metro Walk and Run on Barry Road, Northland KC1
2012–2013	Kathy Gates cold-calls the store, interns for six months, purchases the business from Lafferty1
March 2013	The Running Well Store officially opens under Gates’ ownership; rebranded from predecessor1
2015	Second location opens in Lee’s Summit, MO1
2018	Third location opens at 6009 Johnson Drive, Mission, KS2
December 2023	10-year anniversary of The Running Well Store3
2026	Three locations active: Barry Rd (KC), Lee’s Summit, Mission KS4

Links

• Site: https://therunningwellstore.com/

Sources

Disputes

None at this time. Note: The Martin City / 200 E 135th St location appears to be closed per a Yelp “CLOSED” flag (May 2026); the three active locations above are confirmed open.

Footnotes

1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-gates-472b3826/ and https://www.thepitchkc.com/ — Asserts: Kathy Gates purchased store from Bob Lafferty in March 2013 after six-month internship; originally born in Kansas City; lived in CA and NYC before returning; bought and rebranded as Running Well Store. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

2. https://johnsoncountypost.com/2018/08/09/the-running-well-store-opens-third-location-in-downtown-mission-73017/ — Asserts: Mission location opened 2018 at 6009 Johnson Drive, Mission, KS. ↩

3. https://www.citywide-journalism.design/post/miles-and-miles-of-events-the-running-well-store-celebrates-its-customer-base — Asserts: December 2023 marked 10-year anniversary; four locations at that time; Gates deeply committed to customer base. ↩

4. https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-running-well-store-kansas-city — Asserts: Barry Rd location 6106 NW Barry Rd (suite variation); updated June 2026; active. ↩