Woman-owned running store in S.F. prepares for Sunday’s marathon

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On Sunday mornings in Noe Valley, it’s commonplace to see dozens of people on the corner of Castro and Jersey streets. They warm up, stretch, chat, and get together for a photo before taking off for some shared miles in and beyond the neighborhood.

The host of these “Slow Jam Sundays” — and many other events — is Running Wylder, a boutique running store founded by avid runner Katie Douglas. Fun, community-focused and open to everyone, the runs emulate the vibe of the store itself.

“It’s all about being able to meet people where they are, making this sport that I think is so intimidating to so many people not intimidating, and making it feel accessible,”  said Douglas, who lives in the Mission with her husband.

Currently, Douglas is busy promoting the city’s major race, The San Francisco Marathon, happening July 27. This evening at 6 p.m., Douglas is hosting a “Race Before the Race” on Sanchez St., one of the city’s official “Slow Streets.”

Douglas moved to the city about 10 years ago to take a job as a product designer for Old Navy. (She’s also worked for Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria’s Secret PINK and Lululemon.)

After six years at the San Francisco-headquartered retail company, Douglas realized it was time to move on.

“I like to learn new things, and if I’m not learning and growing, I get really bored really fast,” she explained.

Douglas initially considered creating her own brand of running apparel, along the lines of Tracksmith, Saysky and Satisfy.

Then she reconsidered. “I came back postpartum, and was looking at everything that had exploded since the pandemic, and I was like, ‘Well, there’s really no reason for me to start a running brand, because there’s so many amazing ones out there.”

What runners really needed, she decided, was a store that could curate them all.

Douglas put out a “Have a nice run” welcome mat and opened Running Wylder to the public in October 2024. It’s drawn in veteran, serious runners in the city — but also casual runners and anyone else with a curiosity about running, however mild.

She enjoys geeking out with customers about shoes, brands, races (ask her about the LA Marathon) and good spots to run in the city. But she also loves talking to novices.

“[That] you don’t have to live, eat, and sleep running to be a runner is something that I’ve been trying to bring into the way that we talk about running in the store,” said Douglas.

“I want to make it feel like it’s more about the people than it is about the stuff,” she added. “Just being there and being like, ‘Well, what is it that you need from us? How can we support you?’”

Some of that support is edible, as Douglas also has a fondness for pastries that most everyone can get behind. She kindly offers treats from CoffeeShop to those who make it back in the store post-Slow Jam Sunday jaunt, and there’s a merry croissant named Crusty who appears on Running Wylder signage, products and apparel. 

For a “Crusty in SF” line of running merch, she collaborated with friend and former Abercrombie colleague Bernie Pesko, a San Francisco-based artist.

Each shirt and sweatshirt in the collection features Crusty running somewhere in San Francisco, such as at Twin Peaks, near Sutro Tower; heading up one of the city’s steep hills next to a cable car; and on the Golden Gate Bridge, surrounded by a smiling Karl the fog. 

On a limited edition “SF ❤️s Boston” shirt, Crusty holds hands with a cannoli as they run toward the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street, the iconic “CITGO” sign visible in the background.

“I think it’s amazing that she’s pursuing something she loves and is growing an organic community around it — something I think a lot of people are looking for these days, in the post-pandemic world,” Pesko said of Douglas. “It’s just really great to see she’s put her whole heart into this,” he said. 

Douglas began hosting group runs in January 2025, connecting with several local running clubs, such as the Midnight Runners, Fat Boys Run Club and Almost Friday Run Club for Slow Jam Sunday and two local women’s run clubs, Hella Bae Running and That Girl Run Club for a “Ladies Night” run she hosts on the first Thursday of every month.

She’s also held an in-store discussion panel on the topic of “Consumerism in Running,” and teamed up with running companies like Mizuno and Asics for store demos.

This Sunday, it is all about San Francisco’s marathon.

“Our marathon course is ranked as being one of the hardest, and it’s also amazing [that] you touch every single iconic part of the city in one run. So why don’t we embrace the marathon the same way that all the other cities have embraced their marathons?” Douglas said.

She noted that the New York City Marathon is renowned for its course, which goes through the city’s five boroughs. Yet runners often spend hours waiting on Staten Island prior to starting the race.

“At the SF Marathon, you literally roll up to the Ferry Building, and you get to run the entire city. It’s gorgeous. So I’m on this personal mission to hype it up,” she said.

And today’s race before the race will feature a relay and individual race. Relay team and top nonbinary, female and male winners will receive a prize referencing Matilda, Running Wylder’s in-store three-foot stuffed cheetah.

Douglas is opting out of the marathon herself, however.

”I have a personal aversion to getting up and being somewhere by 5 a.m.,” she joked. (The marathon starts at 5:15 a.m.) 

Still, all of the running around she’ll be doing for Running Wylder events leading up to the race, plus an on-course race day cheering station and a post-race party at the store, will equate to an impressive distance and pursuit nonetheless.

“I knew I would love doing this,” said Douglas. “But I had no idea how much.”

For information about upcoming events, check out Running Wylder on Instagram.