Decathlon opens its first specialist running store in Bordeaux

Decathlon Running has just opened its very first store dedicated entirely to running in Bordeaux. Designed by runners, for runners, it puts expert guidance and a passion for the sport at the heart of the experience. This pilot project, launched in a city with a particularly active running community, could mark the beginning of a new era for France’s sporting giant.

A store designed by runners, for runners

In the heart of Bordeaux, on Promenade Sainte-Catherine, Decathlon Running is unlike a typical Decathlon store. There are no vast multisport aisles, flippers or bikes greeting visitors as they do in the brand’s 300 stores across France. Here, everything revolves around one passion: running.

Spanning 160 m², the new store presents itself as a genuine centre of expertise, designed for a community of passionate athletes. The idea is simple: to offer a high-quality experience that meets the expectations of everyone from Sunday joggers to ultra-runners and seasoned marathoners. Decathlon wants to get closer to runners and “build a strong connection with the local community,” explains Yannick Ferré, the store manager.

This store was designed as a true destination for running enthusiasts. Our ambition is to provide a precise response to runners’ needs, with expert, personalised guidance based on a genuine understanding of their sport. The human element is at the heart of the experience. Every member of the team is a passionate runner, able to understand customers’ expectations and support them as closely as possible in their practice. We want to build a strong connection with the local community.
Yannick Ferré, Decathlon Running Bordeaux store manager

Products from Kiprun, Decathlon’s running brand, naturally take pride of place. The range includes the renowned KD900X LD+, the shoe Jimmy Gressier wore to become European half-marathon champion. But the offer goes further, with leading running brands including adidas, New Balance, Asics, Brooks, Hoka and Saucony. More than 120 shoe models are available in store. The message is clear: this is not a Kiprun showroom, but a genuine specialist store for all runners, whatever their preferred brand.

When it comes to services, the store has chosen authenticity and expertise: treadmill gait analysis, product testing and personalised advice. Most importantly, a team of four advisers, all runners themselves and passionate about the sport, will be happy to talk nutrition, marathon training plans or carbon-plated shoes. Everything is in place for a premium customer experience and to help each runner find the shoe that suits them best.

Services available at Decathlon Running

An expert running and trail range, featuring Kiprun products and a selection of international brands
High-precision gait analysis
A product testing programme, so you can try before you buy
An introduction to the KIPRUN PACER app, a coaching tool offering personalised, adaptive training plans from 10K to trail, designed to evolve according to athletes’ feedback.

Decathlon has opened its very first store dedicated entirely to running in Bordeaux: Decathlon Running.

Running at the heart of a major strategic shift

This store opening is part of a broader strategic shift and did not come out of nowhere. It reflects a major change Decathlon has been making since 2024. New logo, new image, new ambition. Long seen as a low-cost generalist retailer, the group now wants to become a leading name in selected high-profile sports such as running, with a clear promise: expertise and performance.

To achieve this, Decathlon has reduced the number of its own brands, refocusing its offer around nine major sporting categories, including mountain sports, outdoor, fitness, mobility and racket sports, as well as four so-called “expert” brands: Simond for mountaineering, Van Rysel for cycling, Solognac for hunting and… Kiprun for running.

And this is more than a marketing exercise. For the past two years, Decathlon has been investing seriously in running: developing highly innovative shoes, signing Jimmy Gressier, Méline Rollin’s marathon performances, and the creation of 42 House in Iten, Kenya. Kiprun is active on every front. Running and the French market have become major strategic priorities for the brand, and this specialist store is a perfect embodiment of that approach.

In Bordeaux, Decathlon is laying the first stone of its new retail strategy with one clear goal: to get closer to runners. If the experience proves successful, it is easy to imagine the concept expanding to other major cities such as Lille, Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Running has never been more popular, and Decathlon may have found the right balance between expertise, accessibility and proximity.

✔ Decathlon Running is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 49 rue Sainte-Catherine, 33000 Bordeaux.