Long-time vision fulfilled for beloved Orlando running store owners

The U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials are quickly approaching, and there’s a small business on the north side of Downtown Orlando that played a big part in the event being held in Orlando.

The outside of the building is colored on each side with murals of runners from all walks of life, and as you make your way to the entrance, you’ll see the name of the business, Track Shack in large maroon letters, pasted to the exterior of the building. Underneath the title, you’ll see two runners painted on the exterior. The runners, Jon and Betsy Hughes, are the owners of the running shoe store.

When you enter the store, you’ll not only see a wall of shoes, training gear and a large poster of Olympic bronze medalist and world champion Jenny Simpson, but you’ll be greeted by enthusiastic employees, including Jon and Betsy, who understand the power of a pair of running shoes. Track Shack, like a neighborhood bar, is a place where everybody knows your name.  

Even Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer can’t stay away from the popular establishment.

“I do buy my tennis shoes/running shoes at Track Shack and as soon as I walk in, Betsy knows exactly what shoe to put me in,” Mayor Dyer said. “She’ll have a couple of different shoes ready that she knows I will probably want to try on. Having that knowledge of your customers is invaluable. I think it is one of the greatest aspects of the services they provide.” 

For 46 years, Jon and Betsy’s passion for both people and running has led them to make a difference in the sport of running, while also revolutionizing the Orlando running scene.

The Beginning

Jon started working at Track Shack in 1977. In the fall of 1978, Jon became the third owner of Track Shack and then hired Betsy. The two got married in 1983, bought out the two founding partners, and became the sole owners of the store. 

The business began to grow organically throughout the years, Track Shack’s marketing and managing business, Event Marketing & Management International, which now operates as Track Shack Events, was founded in 1990, with the goal of the company being to give the best race management and marketing experience to everyone that the company worked with. In 1994, the company created the Track Shack Foundation, which is now the Track Shack Youth Foundation, with the goal of the Foundation being to give back to the community and to promote health and fitness.

From that point on, the business blossomed and has grown into one of the premier running stores not only in Orlando, but in the United States. 

The Track Shack Youth Foundation has donated over 3.5 million dollars to youth programs since its start. They also donate to various charities in Orlando and they raise awareness for diseases such as breast cancer through an event called Ladies Night that the store hosts. 

Track Shack offers various training plans for runners, regardless of where their fitness level might be. They’ve also created numerous races that are popular in the Orlando community, including but not limited to the Orlando Magic 5k, the OUC Half-Marathon and the AdventHealth Lady Track Shack 5k. This is just a small sample size of the impact that the story continues to have in the running community.

Shoes are just one part of the equation for Jon, Betsy, and those who work at Track Shack. The store has a hand in hosting, directing, or marketing numerous events and races each year. The passion that Jon and Betsy have for people in and out of the running community has never wavered in their pursuit of excellence.

“I think so, it’s a different fun, but my husband and I still love it,” Betsy said. “Running was our passion and is our passion, so are people. I’m not sure we ever knew when we first got married that we were going to keep doing this, but we never really thought twice about it once we got into it.”

Jon and Betsy’s son, Chris Hughes is the Director of Operations for Track Shack. He and his sister grew up watching his parents run the business and serve others in the community. He still sees the same passion in his dad, who continues to manage EMMI. He sees it in his mom when she’s working behind the scenes or on the sales floor.

When the store is at full capacity and the waitlist is long, Chris says that you’ll see Betsy on the sales floor, on her knees tying shoes for the guests and carefully watching them walk to make sure that she puts them in the right shoe. Sometimes the guests won’t know that it’s the owner helping them.

“When she’s in the store, the thing she enjoys the most is still helping people,” he said. “When someone comes in with a major foot problem, she wants to help and take care of them.”

A Dream Fulfilled 

Jon and Betsy stood next to Jason Siegel, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission on Nov. 8, 2022 at the Amphitheater at Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando, as he made the announcement that Orlando would host the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Betsy said that the company timed and scored the Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles in 2016, and has been involved in the process for many years. The event taking place in Orlando was the result of many years of hard work by the Track Shack team, as well as other organizations in Orlando.

“We did envision it because we’ve been trying to find the right year to make the bid,” she said. “So we’ve actually been really working on it. Many people on our team here at the store, and we’ve also worked with the Greater Orlando Sports Commission and even just the City of Orlando just to bring the Trials here.”

The announcement and lead-up to the Marathon Trials has caused great cheer in the city of Orlando. Mayor Dyer says that he’s excited about how the event will showcase Downtown Orlando and how the course is suitable for the fans to watch and cheer for the athletes.

“It was really exciting for the city to partner in the efforts to secure the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials because the games are watched by millions of people,” Mayor Dyer said. “We’ll be sending three men and three women top finishers to the Paris Summer Olympic Games shortly after that. I envision a very festive atmosphere here in Orlando.” 

Legacy

Jon and Betsy have been recognized for their work and impact not just in the Orlando community, but on the national running scene. They’ve received multiple honors, including being inducted into the Running Specialty Hall of Fame in 2008, and in the Running U.S. Hall of Champions in 2009. 

Chris Hughes believes that his parents values of putting people over profit has allowed them to achieve great success and be a staple in the running community.

“It is the fact that they have absolutely always put people in the community above everything else,” Chris said. “It has never been about a profit. It’s never been about making a dollar. They did it because they felt that they had an opportunity to be the focal point of this greater Orlando running community. And that’s what they’ve been.” 

Jenny Simpson grew up running in the various events that Track Shack offered and has grown close with the Hughes family over the years. Simpson will head back to Orlando to compete at the Olympic Marathon Trials, where she accomplished great things as a high school athlete competing in Central Florida. She believes that companies such as Track Shack are the soul of the running community.

“When you turn on the television, and you watch the Olympic Games, and you see track and field and you see the top, the elite of the elite doing the best, or what they know how to do those distance runners. Learn about the sport from places like Track Shack. And so it’s a mistake to turn on the Olympic Games and think this, this is the thing that inspires kids, because it’s one of the things that inspires kids. But those kids don’t often get into the sport if there’s not a real live person in their community involved in local road racing that goes up to them and says, and invites them to be part of the sport. When I think about Track Shack, I think this is the heartbeat and what keeps our sport alive.” 

Track Shack will be known for more than their involvement with bringing the Olympic Trials to Orlando and selling shoes to customers. They’re part of Orlando’s fabric, and they showcase what makes the city unique.

“Orlando’s economy is dependent on the success of small businesses and Track Shack is a true example of a successful small business where their family puts their heart and soul into it,” Mayor Dyer said. “They have built a clientele that is so loyal, that they just don’t visit their location for the shoes, rather for the loyalty and their customer service.”