James DeMarco | Owner
Current Running Shoe: Adidas Energy Boost, Mizuno Wave Rider, Nike Pegasus
Favorite Race Distance: 5k
Best Place to Run Around Town: Virginia Tech XC Course, Blacksburg XC Course
Favorite Trail Run: Lost Lake in Alaska but Pandapas is great to have so close
Favorite Energy Gel Flavor: Lemon Lime or Vanilla Bean Gu
James started RunAbout in 2003 in downtown Blacksburg. After three years, RunAbout moved to the University Mall where it stayed for ten years. In 2015, RunAbout moved to its third home at First and Main in the up-and-coming shopping district in South Main, Blacksburg.
James started running as a sophomore in high school in Anchorage, Alaska. He ran in college at South Dakota State where he earned All-America honors and helped his team to an NCAA Division II team national title in cross country. James was a volunteer cross country and track coach with Virginia Tech while taking classes at VT and trying to get RunAbout Sports open. James started coaching the boys and girls cross country, indoor, and outdoor track and field teams at Blacksburg High School shortly thereafter. Since his arrival, James’ teams have won 24 state championships with an additional 13 state runners-up distinctions, with three teams ranked in the top ten of the United States. He has been named the United State Southeast Coach of the Year and a national finalist, Virginia Coach of the Year four times, and the Roanoke Times has named him the Timesland Coach of the Year numerous times. The Roanoke Times has called James the most successful coach in Timesland history. In 2015, the track facility at Blacksburg High School was named the James DeMarco Track of Dreams. James has also directed many of the area's top events, including the Hokie Half Marathon, Mountains of Misery, and the High Performance Distance Academy.
James is married to his lovely wife Mina, and they have a son named Dean
Willy Fink | Retail Manager
Peter Dorrell | Events Manager
Peter has been with RunAbout Sports since 2015, and been in run specialty since 2013. He ran on the Blacksburg High School track and cross country teams before going on to compete for The College of William and Mary as a scholarship athlete. Although he was introduced to the sport in competition, he has recently been spending more time just enjoying running in nature. Look to see him at events in the RunAbout Race Series, as well as Healthy Kids Runs.
Kenny Poole | Sales Associate
Kenny has been an employee at RunAbout since 2016. He is a former half- and quarter-mile racer, but now enjoys racing the occasional 5k or 5-miler. He coaches Youth Track League during the summers and helps coach the Blacksburg Middle School track team during the spring. He currently attends Virginia Tech, studying history with a focus on military development during the Greek and Roman empires. He plans to pursue graduate studies in the future. His hobbies range from brewing honey mead to archery, both of which stem from his nerdy love of history.
Laurin Hatcher | Sales Associate
Laurin is the newest employee to RunAbout, but previously worked at the site in Roanoke. Her love for running began in elementary school, and particularly running with her mom. She ran cross country and track in high school. Her favorite event was the 800m, and her favorite meet was Knights Crossing in Roanoke. Laurin is currently a student at Virginia Tech studying to be an Occupational Therapist. One of her favorite memories is going to Olive Garden to carb load before races with her team in high school.
Noah Combs | Events Team
Noah has worked for RunAbout since 2015. You can find him helping organize races in RunAbout's race series, coaching Youth Track League and Health Kids Runs, and occasionally at the store. Noah ran at Blacksburg High School for coach James Demarco where his team qualified for Nike Nationals in 2012, finishing 10th in the nation. Noah graduated from Virginia Tech in 2015 with a degree in Computer Science. He still runs in his spare time, frequently attending Wednesday Pub Runs and Track Tuesdays.
Stephen Howard | Special Advisor
Matthew Howard | Web Development and Graphic Design
Another local product, Matt was raised in Blacksburg where he competed for James at Blacksburg High School. In addition to winning multiple state titles and garnering two All-America nods, he was a member of the 4xmile relay team which won a national title in 2010, the first for any sport in Blacksburg history. Matt continued his running career at Georgetown University where he graduated in 2014 with a degree in biology, and was a multiple-time all-conference performer and three-time Academic All-American. Following graduation, he trained post-collegiately with the District Track Club, narrowly missing out on the 2016 Olympic Trials in the steeplechase.He has been a part of the RunAbout team since 2010 and works primarily on web development and graphic design. He also helps organize and direct the High Performance Distance Academy each summer.
He now lives in Washington, DC working as a consultant for the United States Army. When he’s not training to complete the six World Major Marathons, Matt enjoys photography and playing as much volleyball as possible.