Gazelle Sports Hosts Hands-On Runner Safety Education at the Amway River Bank Run Expo
The Safely team loves seeing retailers bring safety education directly into their communities.
Recently, our retail partner Gazelle Sports featured Safely at the official Amway River Bank Run Sports & Fitness Expo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where runners had the opportunity to learn how to properly use pepper spray through hands-on demonstrations ahead of race weekend.
Hosted at DeVos Place, the expo brought together thousands of runners, brands, and community members leading into one of the premier road racing events in the country.
Making Runner Safety More Accessible
Throughout the expo, the Gazelle Sports team hosted live demonstrations focused on helping runners build confidence and feel more prepared on their runs.
Participants had the opportunity to learn proper pepper spray technique, ask questions, and get hands-on experience in a way that felt approachable and supportive.
One of the biggest things we continue to hear at these events is that many runners already carry a safety tool but have never actually practiced using it before.
That is exactly why these demonstrations matter.
Safety education should feel accessible, approachable, and easy to understand.
Why Retail Partnerships Matter
One of the things we are most proud of at Safely is partnering with retailers that truly care about their communities.
Gazelle Sports continues to create opportunities for runners to not only shop products, but also learn practical safety skills and have important conversations around runner safety.
And they are not alone.
Across the country, more running stores are beginning to incorporate safety education into their events and community programming.
We have also partnered with retailers including Fleet Feet Fresno, Fleet Feet Houston, Fleet Feet Boulder, and many others to host safety demonstrations and help runners feel more confident while training and racing.
Seeing retailers take an active role in supporting runner safety has been incredibly inspiring.
Hands-On Education Makes a Difference
Runners at the expo also had the opportunity to see the Safely Sidekick, our all in one personal safety device designed with runners in mind. Featuring pepper spray, a flashlight, personal safety alarm, and interchangeable attachments, the Sidekick was created to help women feel more confident and prepared on their runs without needing to carry multiple separate tools.
On top of that Safely, one of our biggest goals is helping people feel confident actually using the tools they carry.
That is why we continue partnering with retailers, run clubs, and race organizations across the country to provide approachable, hands-on safety education.
Because carrying pepper spray is one thing. Knowing how to use it is what builds confidence.
The Running Community Continues to Lead the Conversation
The conversations happening around runner safety continue to grow, especially among women runners.
From local run clubs to major marathon weekends, including recent conversations at the Boston Marathon around runner safety, runner safety continues to become a bigger part of the national running conversation.
More communities are recognizing the importance of preparation, awareness, and creating supportive environments where runners feel empowered to ask questions and learn together.
Events like the Amway River Bank Run Expo are helping make those conversations more visible and accessible to the running community.
Interested in Bringing Safely to Your Store?
If you are a retailer interested in carrying Safely products or hosting a safety demonstration for your community, we would love to connect.
Please reach out to us anytime at team@livesafely.co.
Together, we can continue creating safer runs for everyone.
