Marathon Sports is a New England running-specialty chain founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1975. It now operates roughly 32 storefronts (plus the Runner’s Alley and Sound Runner banners) across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maine, and was acquired by Fleet Feet in 2023. Its online store carries 700+ running shoe models from Asics, Brooks, Hoka, Altra, adidas, New Balance, and more, most priced between $110 and $270, built around its in-store “The Right Fit®” gait-and-fit consultation.
A note on sourcing: Marathon Sports is a multi-location specialty retailer, not a single product listed on Amazon or Wayfair, so those platforms don’t apply here. Its Trustpilot profile has only 2 reviews (too few to be meaningful), and its BBB profile currently shows 0 customer reviews. The real, substantial review volume for this business lives on Yelp and Google/Facebook (aggregated via Birdeye), so that’s what this page draws from. We did not find a dedicated YouTube review or an active Reddit thread specifically about Marathon Sports, so those aren’t represented either.
Ratings By Location
Marathon Sports doesn’t publish a single star-by-star breakdown the way a product listing does, since ratings are split across dozens of individual storefronts. Here’s how several of its largest, most-reviewed locations actually score on Yelp and Google/Facebook as of September 2026 — a more honest picture than a single invented number.
What Reviewers Praise Most
Across hundreds of reviews from different stores and years, four themes show up again and again.
Real Gait-Based Fitting
Staff repeatedly checking gait, watching customers run or walk, and testing several shoe models before recommending one — the opposite of grab-and-go.
Knowledgeable, Not Pushy
Reviewers consistently name specific staff members and describe them as patient and informed rather than sales-driven.
Easy In-Store Exchanges
Multiple reviewers describe returning a pair that didn’t work out and getting a hassle-free swap, store credit, or re-fitting on the spot.
Featured Reviews
Below are real, named reviews sourced from Google and Facebook (aggregated via Birdeye) and Yelp, shown with the reviewer’s name, platform, and rating. Facebook doesn’t use a star scale — it uses a binary “Recommend” signal — so positive, Recommended Facebook reviews are shown here as 5★ for consistency with the other platforms; this conversion is disclosed again in the sources note below. One review is included specifically because it names a real minor gripe alongside the praise.
“Came in yesterday looking for a pair of proper running shoes. Brian was extremely helpful in evaluating my gait and bringing out different types of shoes to try. Went running today and my flat feet really appreciate the support of my new Hoka shoes. Will definitely be coming back!”
“The best running shoe buying experience I have ever had! Hua helped me out tremendously and even took me out to see how I ran to find the perfect shoe. Already recommended them to 10 different people today!”
“Outstanding personalized service. I had bought a pair of running shoes two weeks ago at the Newbury St store and hated them. I brought them back into the Cambridge store, and was not only able to get store credit, I was given outstanding service picking out a new pair.” (One location’s fitting didn’t work out, but another Marathon Sports store fixed it — a real, if imperfect, example of their return process.)
“Picked out two pairs of shoes with Katherine this afternoon. She was extremely friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I got great fitting road and trail shoes, and I’m feeling ready to go!”
“If you run, this is the ONLY store for you!”
“My feet are very important to my livelihood! Having a professional fitting experience with a professional associate is huge. Shoes are something I don’t look at price tags for.”
“Great products. Great service. Have been shopping here since 1976.”
“Marathon Sports has some good running gear and the staff was friendly, but I would have given it five stars if they had some simple accessories.” (His own wording implies the four-star rating shown here.)
What Reviewers Consistently Say
Pros
- Staff genuinely evaluate gait and watch customers walk or run before recommending a shoe, rather than just pointing at the wall.
- Individual employees are named and praised by customers repeatedly across years, suggesting consistent training rather than one-off good hires.
- Returns and exchanges between locations are described as smooth, even when the original fitting didn’t work out.
- Multiple reviewers describe decades-long loyalty to the brand, including one customer who’s shopped there since 1976.
- Wide selection: the online shoe catalog alone runs to 700+ models across road, trail, racing, and walking categories.
The most common complaints center on the online ordering experience rather than the in-store one: reviewers describe wrong sizes shipped, slow email response times for online-only issues, and no direct phone line for web orders. In-store, a handful of reviews mention thin inventory at smaller locations and at least one case where a customer felt a staff recommendation led to an ill-fitting shoe and subsequent plantar fasciitis, with the store declining to replace the pair. These are worth knowing before you order online rather than visiting a store for an in-person fitting.
Shop Marathon Sports’ Running Shoes
Browse 700+ road, trail, and racing shoe models, or find a store near you for an in-person fitting.
Shop Running ShoesIs Marathon Sports Worth It?
The reviews we could verify point to a consistent story: Marathon Sports’ in-store experience is the real draw. Across locations from Providence to Manchester to Cambridge, the same pattern repeats — staff who check gait, bring out multiple pairs, and take the time most big-box sporting goods stores don’t. That’s reflected in consistently strong ratings at individual stores, mostly in the high 4s, and in reviewers who name specific employees by name years after their visit.
It isn’t flawless. The complaints that do surface are concentrated in the online ordering experience — wrong sizes, slow responses when something goes wrong with a web order, and a customer service structure that’s clearly built around its physical stores rather than e-commerce. A specialty running shoe is also rarely the cheapest option per pair; you’re paying in part for the fitting expertise, and that shows in prices that mostly sit in the $110–$270 range rather than budget territory.
If you’re buying running shoes for a specific issue — overpronation, plantar fasciitis, a first “real” pair, or a shoe for an upcoming race — the pattern in these reviews suggests visiting a physical Marathon Sports location for its Right Fit® consultation is worth the trip. If you already know your exact model and size and just want the lowest price shipped fast, the online store works, but the reviews suggest that’s not where this brand is strongest.
Ready to Find Your Shoe?
Browse Marathon Sports’ current running shoe selection online, or use their store locator to book an in-person Right Fit® fitting.
Sources: Yelp business pages for Marathon Sports’ Cambridge, Boston (Back Bay), Wellesley, Manchester NH, Northampton, and Providence locations (accessed September 2026); Birdeye’s aggregated Google/Facebook review profile for the Cambridge location (336 reviews, accessed September 2026); Marathon Sports’ Trustpilot and BBB profiles (both reviewed and found too low-volume or unrated to use as primary data); and Marathon Sports’ official running shoe shop page. Facebook’s binary “Recommend” reviews are displayed here as 5★ for consistency with star-based platforms; this conversion, not an original star rating, is noted for transparency. Reviewer names are shown as published on each platform. No reviews were fabricated for this page. This page was researched and compiled by The Where Business and is not paid or sponsored content from Marathon Sports.
