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Our Staff
- The staff at Vertical Runner takes great pride in providing the highest level of customer service. Every customer is an essential building block in the foundation of our community. We appreciate and value the support of our customers.
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Brian Polen
After finding myself out of shape and overweight in 2008, I made a snap decision to sign up for The Akron Marathon, without having spent even a mile training for it, in an attempt to turn my health around. That decision, as it turns out, would shape the next 7 years of my life up to this point! I nearly killed myself completing that first marathon, but what I learned about myself and the sport of running during the 6 months of training changed me forever. Having since opened Vertical Runner of Wooster, completed nearly 100 races all over the country ranging in distance from 5k to 100 mile, quitting my job as an engineer to become the Race Director at the Akron Marathon, and meeting more amazing people than I ever thought possible, I would say that I like this new life a whole lot better! I find an incredible amount of inspiration meeting so many new runners in the store, including my wife Tammy who just recently discovered that she too has running talent! Very rarely do I go for a run because I am training for a race, and a lot of times I don’t leave the house with a time or pace goal for a run; I run nearly every day because putting one foot I front of the other makes me happy, and who doesn’t want that? I am extremely thankful for what running has done for me and feel fortunate that through Vertical Runner I have an avenue to show others what it can do for them. -
Tammy Polen
Tammy Polen: As Co-owner and Manager at Vertical Runner of Wooster, you will find me in the store most days making sure the shelves are stocked with the best products in the industry. When we originally opened the store in 2012, I was a self-proclaimed “non-runner”, but after a few years of watching so many locals jump into the running community and accomplish amazing goals, I decided to give it a shot! After completing my first Half Marathon in March and then finishing all three events in the Akron Marathon Rubber City Race Series this summer and fall, I cannot believe it took so many years for me to get into this great sport! I encourage anyone to at least give the sport a try and love to share my story when a customer walks into the store and announces immediately that they are “not a runner”. My typical response to them is “not yet”! -
Beau Polen
As the youngest, but possibly most popular, Vertical Runner employee, Beau Polen spends his time running...EVERYWHERE! Allegedly having never taken a walking step in his life, he is very high energy and loves watching his parents race as well as toeing the line himself on occasion. As winner of numerous youth races boasting a 1 Mile PR of 6:32 and a 5k PR in the low 24 min range, he is anxiously awaiting his opportunity to compete at a higher level. You will find him at VR-Wooster most days hanging with Mom or Dad, and is quickly becoming a leader in the local youth running community. -
Jay Williams
Life long runner & purser of any outdoor human powered adventure. Favorite distance includes 50k, 50M, 100K need to perfect that 100M thing and an Ironman still is on my bucket list. I enjoy helping people choose the correct gear for the activity they wish to pursue. Heading the Thursday Night Trail Runs and exploring Wooster Memorial Park has been an added bonus. I look forward to seeing the Wooster Running Community grow and experience new adventures. O' the muddier the better! -
Scott Call
My name is Scott Call and I have been running for almost 5 years now. I got into running to drop some weight and quickly caught the running bug. I find that now I run to keep myself sane! It is a time to clear my mind and focus on pushing myself to reach whatever goal I currently have set. My first full marathon was the Columbus Marathon in 2013. Since then I have run several other full marathons and many half marathons. My favorite distance is the half marathon and I enjoy both road and trail running. What I most enjoy about working at Vertical Runner (as well as pacing on the VR Pace Team) is helping others reach their running goals and achieving new personal bests. -
Terri Lemke
I have worked at Vertical Runner - Wooster since the store opened in October, 2012. I began running in Jr. High, ran track and cross country at Loudonville High School, ran both in college at BGSU, and continue to run to this day, so I guess you can say I'm a more experienced runner. I have raced anywhere from 5k's through 100 mile ultras and even 48 hour ultra-marathons, both on the road and on the trails. You can find me running on the roads and trails around Loudonville, Ohio and Mohican State Park where I live with my husband, and two dogs "Mo" and "Higan". We are empty nesters as our three sons are all out of the house. My all around favorite running shoes whether road or trail are Hoka's. -
Brandon Doty
When not at Vertical Runner-Wooster, Brandon can be found outdoors hunting, fishing, or hiking, It is not uncommon for him to cover countless miles through the woods on a weekend tracking wild game, looking for shed deer antlers, or scouting out a new hunting location. While there is rarely enough motivation to get him to go for a run out on the roads, he enjoys romps through the woods at the two local Wooster parks—Memorial Park and Vulture’s Knob. He really enjoys crewing for Ultra Races at venues like Salt Fork State Park, Burr Oak State Park, and Mill Creek Park while stating the most important piece of equipment needed to be a good crew member at a place like that is “your own Fishing pole”! Brandon is currently a Student at the University of Akron, majoring in Special Education. -
Scott Hinkle
Many people like to go for a run, I like to go for a chat and run while I do it! I can't help myself, I love people and love to chat with everyone and anyone who can bring some energy into my life. As a member of the Staff at VR and a part of the Vertical Runner Pace Team, I get my opportunity to be in the mix of a community that I stumbled upon just a few years ago, the running community. Having run a few sub 3hr marathons in the past few years, there's no doubt that I want to find out where I can take my own running passion, but more importantly, I can't wait to help the next customer find out where they can take their passion! Heck, let's talk about it! :)