Way to go, Big River Running and Fleet Feet St. Louis. Each has again won national recognition.

Fleet Feet was named the No. 2 store in the Southern Midwest in Runner’s World Magazine’s 2008 Specialty Running Store Runner’s Choice Awards. The magazine honors just 30 stores nationwide. With three stores in the area _ St. Charles, Chesterfield and southwest St. Louis County _ Fleet Feet finished behind Garry Gribble’s Kansas City stores. The stores here made the Runner’s World list for the second successive year.

Big River again was named one of the top 50 running stores in the country by the Running Network and Footwear Intelligence. Like Fleet Feet, Big River expanded its operation in 2008, opening a branch in South St. Louis. The award honors the store for customer and community service. Half of the evaluation is based on the experience of mystery shoppers, who pose as customers and rate the store on its aesthetics, variety, staff knowledge and helpfulness. Community involvement accounts for a quarter of the score.