The Jog Shop & Open Podium — A New Partnership

I'm delighted to announce our newest Open Podium partner: The Jog Shop, a genuinely independent running shop on George Street in Brighton.

If you've never been in, it's worth knowing what makes them different. Rather than just pointing you at whatever's on the shelf, they'll carry out a proper assessment of your foot type and running style before recommending anything — the kind of personal expertise that's increasingly rare on the high street. They stock a serious range of running shoes and gear too, from Hoka, Brooks, Asics, Saucony, New Balance, On Running, and Altra, alongside clothing and accessories for every kind of runner.

If you're based in Brighton or Hove, they're genuinely worth a visit — and if you're part of one of the many great local clubs in the area, all the more reason to support an independent shop that clearly cares about getting it right for you. Brighton and Hove is spoilt for choice when it comes to running communities — Brighton Phoenix, Brighton & Hove AC, Arena 80, Hove Hornets, Brighton & Hove Women's Running Club, and Run The Lanes, to name a few. If you're part of any of them, go check The Jog Shop out.

For anyone new here, a quick reminder of what Open Podium actually does

Sign up, and if you've raced a couple of times in the last 6 months, you'll get a personal target time for your next race — built from your own recent form and the difficulty of the course, not a generic calculator. Once the race is done, results get reordered by who beat their own target by the most, not by who crossed the line first. That means anyone racing has a genuine shot, regardless of raw pace. Along the way, you'll get a full pacing plan too, so you know exactly how fast to run each kilometre or mile to actually hit your number.

Some races go a step further and become Prize Races, where a partner offers something real — a trophy, a voucher, free entry — for whoever beats their target by the most. It's entirely free for runners, and it doesn't cost race organisers anything either.

And that brings me to the real point of this post — an open call.

If you're a local business, whether that's a running shop, a café, a physio, a sports massage therapist, or anything else that fits the running community, I'd love to hear from you. Sponsoring a prize costs very little — often just a small voucher or discount — but it comes with real visibility: a spot on our partners page, a mention across our social channels, and genuine goodwill from a growing, genuinely engaged local running audience.

The Jog Shop got involved because they already understand what supporting local running actually looks like. If that sounds like you too, get in touch — I'd love to have you on board.