Colorado’s first trail and ultrarunning shop, Berkeley Park Running Company, recently opened in a restored two-story house on Tennyson Street in Denver. Store founder Chris Sullivan, an ultrarunner and Southwest Flight Attendant, made it his goal to open a unique and incomparable retail and community space for the mountain, ultra, trail (MUT) community, three years ago.

“I felt like the trail and ultra community was underserved in Denver and on the Front Range. It’s hard to find gear that’s specific for trail and ultra events, and as those races become more popular, I wanted to provide for those needs,” says Sullivan—also known as Sully—who became hooked on trail races at his first event, the 2007 Imogene Pass Run. Most Denverites run on sidewalks and roads, due to day-to-day convenience, but having an opportunity to run on trails in the foothills or nearby mountains is a beautiful, refreshing change of pace, Sullivan explains. Following his first ultramarathon in 2010—the 56-mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa, the oldest ultra-race event in the world—Sullivan embarked on the local Leadville Race Series.

For the shop’s research and development, Sullivan visited as many running stores as possible across the country and world—including Chamonix, France, Belfast, Ireland, and South Africa—during his overnights as a flight attendant. “The goal is to make the coolest running shop that can exist. I didn’t want an atmosphere that feels sterile with the same products and displays and no heart. I want this to be a place that runners want to come to and hang out,” says Sullivan, who is putting the finishing touches on the interior decor.

Mission accomplished: The back room is outfitted with a bar top and 8-brew tap (beer license pending; two taps will feature cold brew coffee and Kombucha), a lounge area, and a television for watching races. Adjacent to the backyard’s picnic tables, Sullivan is finishing up a fenced area for runners’ dogs, and he plans to plant hops in the flower bed to contribute to the brew recipes of the shop’s neighbor, Call to Arms Brewing Company.

“I want people to immediately feel and like the vibe when they walk in—not just observe a store,” he says. In addition to Berkeley’s weekly Thursday-night run club (3.5 miles; 6:15-8 p.m.), the shop is involved with races and hosts events such as the gear swap on Saturday, October 7. Berkeley’s products are carefully curated with the goal of delivering trusted goods while also introducing runners to new items. If a company doesn’t feature trail run-centric designs, you won’t find it here. Here are a handful of our top picks.

Raidlight Gilet Responsiv 10L hydration vest: Based in France, Raidlight creates MUT footwear, gear, and apparel. Compared to Europe, the brand isn’t well-known in the U.S.—but it should be. “If you go to any mountain, ultra, trail race around the world, runners are wearing Raidlight,” says Sullivan. “The gear and apparel is on par with Salomon.” Sullivan’s shop and another in Austin, Texas, are the only two retail locations in the U.S. that carry the brand. This unisex hydration vest features a Boa adjustment system on the sides to tighten or loosen the fit. The soft bottles have long stems, so that they’re still accessible inside the sleeves as they collapse. “The pack is comparably priced, it stays in place, and it’s the best quality pack within high level apparel,” Sullivan says. $180; small, medium, large, extra-large.
Raidlight Top Ultralight 2: This men’s waterproof-breathable rain jacket is stretchy and super lightweight. A clear section of material sits above the left wrist, so the runner doesn’t need to wrestle with the sleeve or expose skin in order to read the stats. Also, a zippered pocket sits low on the left hip. $200; medium, large.
Squirrel’s Nut Butter: Finally, this Flagstaff-founded all-natural anti-chafe butter debuts at a Colorado shop. Not only does this restorative skin salve prevent chafing but it lasts for hours in all conditions—hot summer days and blustery cold weather—and it smells like delicious cookies. Spouses Stacy and Chris Thornley make the mix by hand. “When I called them for an order, they said, ‘We’ll make a batch tomorrow and send them to you—it was so cool,” says Sullivan. The containers vary in size but Berkeley Park’s most popular one is the compact .5-ounce stick. $6.50; .5 oz.
Goodr Running Sunglasses: A Ginger’s Soul: These polarized sunglasses are a great price point, don’t slip and slide, aren’t too tight, and don’t bounce around. Also, each pair has a hilarious name and there are many color variations. “If you break your $150 pairs this is the perfect solution,” Sullivan says. $25; one size fits all.
Frost’d Lavender Lemon: Boulder resident Jessica Hamel is the one-woman show and ultra runner who founded Frost’d: an all-natural snack frosting recipe made with a coconut oil base. The unique flavors include Honey Lavender Lemon, Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, Mexican Hot Chocolate, and (coming soon to Berkeley) Turmeric Coconut. Local pro ultra runners Clare Gallagher, Hillary Allen, and Cat Bradley all swear by the fuel. $9.50; 8 oz.
Spibelt Endurance Series waist band: This water-resistant elastic belt is a simple gel and key holder with toggles to clasp down a race bib. $35; 29”-50” waist band.
Trail Butter Maple Syrup & Sea Salt Nut Butter Blend Single-Serve Packet: “Trail Butter is made from natural ingredients and super popular with ultra runners and for running 14ers. It’s very calorie dense and replaces a whole bunch of gels,” Sullivan says. The resealable 27-ounce packets ($6.50) load 800 calories worth of energy and come in three different flavors including Dark Chocolate & Coffee, and Cranberry & Sunflower. Berkeley is the only place to purchase Trail Butter in Denver. $2; 1.5 oz; 190 cal.