Sightrunning is quickly becoming one of the most popular activities for traveling runners, and our quality brand is established and thriving in the locations these runners visit. City Running Tours was founded in 2005 in New York City by Michael Gazaleh, a chiropractor and avid runner. One day, a gentleman from Australia contacted New York Personal Training Studio (where Michael's office was located at the time) looking for a personal trainer to take him on a run around NYC. This was his first visit to the city, and he was looking for someone local to run with, as he didn't want to run on the hotel treadmill or risk getting lost on his own. None of the trainers in the studio were able to run at the level he was looking for, so Michael offered to be his guide. Michael recounts:
"The morning of the scheduled run, I met him at the hotel where he was staying: the New York Downtown Marriott located just below the World Trade Center site. As I walked into the lobby of the hotel, he greeted me with a gracious smile and excitement in his eyes, and I asked him if he just wanted to go for a run or see the city. That is when I found out it was his first visit to NYC, and he chose the latter. We ended up running two different days and on each of those days I got to share my version of the city with him. We also had the chance to learn a lot about each other with each stride.
Through that simple experience, I realized there was an opportunity here. An opportunity to share my passion for my home while doing something I love to do. An opportunity to give runners a chance to continue their daily routine, and because they are doing something they love to do, to feel like themselves. That week I started the business.
Since our inception in 2005, we have been fortunate to build a strong team in great cities and grow across the country. We have learned that our success is not just about the city -- it is also about the people who are leading the charge in each city and sharing the universal vision of City Running Tours. Each day, week, month and year we get the opportunity to run with wonderful people from all over the world, and we look forward to continuing to make these connections by showcasing our cities through a common interest."
Throughout the years, the idea of running tours has expanded across the world, and now the organization RunningTours.net has brought the running tour operators together to help grow the concept. City Running Tours values its relationship with this organization, and its membership in RunningUSA, in addition to the many great local partnerships within each of the CRT cities.
