Bradenton's Fit2Run opens temporary Tampa store, hopes to make it permanent

Fit2Run, the Bradenton-based sneaker and athletic gear retailer, has opened a temporary store in the Water Street Tampa district, a first step toward opening a permanent location.

The 1,614-square-fooot store is at 910 E. Cumberland Ave. in the district near downtown. The store opened last week with a six-month lease. A spokesperson for the landlord, Strategic Property Partners, says the hope is “that it turns into a long-term, permanent lease.”

According to a statement from SPP, the store will carry a “curated selection” of running and athletic footwear, apparel, accessories and specialty brands, among them Lululemon, On, Brooks, Nike and ASICS, plus several emerging brands new to the market.

The timing of the opening is loosely tied to the upcoming 2026 Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Feb. 21 and 22. The event, which draws about 20,000 participants, includes a half-marathon as well as 15-kilometer, 8-kilometer and 5-kilometer runs.

Fit2Run was founded in 2006 by Bill Robinson and his son Parks, the company’s current president and CEO.

Before that, Bill and his brother H.L. “Penny” Robinson built up the family-owned Robby’s Sporting Goods, which was founded in 1960 in Bradenton, according to a 2020 obituary in the industry publication Running Insight. Bill and Penny would go on to sell the company to the F.W. Woolworth Co. in the 1980s. It was a precursor to Champs, according to the obituary.

Today, Fit2Run has 45 stores in three states and Puerto Rico. The Water Street store is its second in the city.

Water Street is a $3 billion, 56-acre, mixed-use development just south of downtown Tampa. The nine million-square foot district includes commercial, residential, hospitality, entertainment and retail space.