About RunTex
Built to Run. Built to Last.
The story of Austin's running store — and why it's back.
The Mission
“To build endurance into the citizens of our city, state and nation through proper gear, events, training and teamwork.”
— Paul Carrozza, Founder
The Founding
One Store. One City. One Creed.
Paul Carrozza — NCAA All-American in the 1500m at Abilene Christian University — opened RunTex on The Drag in 1988 with a single conviction: running changes lives. Not just bodies. Lives.
What followed was unlike anything Austin had seen. RunTex grew into one of the world's largest running-only stores, with five locations, more than 50 staff, and over $6 million in annual sales. Runner's World named it the #1 Running Store in America and awarded it multiple Golden Shoe Awards.
Paul wrote the Runner's World shoe review column and consulted on footwear for Adidas, Nike, Asics, Mizuno, Brooks, Saucony, and New Balance. For 20 years, RunTex maintained water stations on the Lady Bird Lake trail — serving approximately 1.5 million visits a year.
Community Impact
More Than a Store
RunTex didn't just sell shoes. It built a running city. Through events, coaching, and programs that reached tens of thousands of people, RunTex wove itself into the fabric of Austin.
Marathon Kids
Co-founded and produced by RunTex, Marathon Kids grew from 5,000 to a peak of 50,000 Central Texas children per year — each running 26.2 miles over the course of a school year.
RunTex University
Coached more than 2,500 people a year through programs with the City of Austin, H-E-B, Dell, and Travis County.
Gazelle Foundation
Co-founded with Olympian Gilbert Tuhabonye to bring clean water to East Africa through the power of running.
Austin Marathon
Produced for 20 years, growing into a $1.5 million event that put Austin on the national running map.
Capitol 10,000
Austin's largest 10K — a race that became a civic institution, produced and supported by RunTex for decades.
Shoes for Austin
Donated running shoes to those in need across Central Texas, keeping more Austinites on the road.
Why It's Back
The Name Belongs to Austin.
RunTex was never just a retail brand. It was a creed — Run Hard. Live Easy. — and a community that shaped how an entire city moves. That doesn't go away.
The RunTex brand is back to carry that legacy forward: the gear, the spirit, and the belief that when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.
“Lion or gazelle, when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.”