JULIE FRANCIS, owner operator of soundRUNNER. She aspires to build an empire with soundRUNNER, and her nickname, “the queen” is a testament to this. But a seemingly seamless operation such as soundRUNNER didn’t come easy. She fought her way through the throngs at Gap Inc., making her way up to the most successful manager in the country. To this day she battles adversity. Little known fact: Julie has diabetes. Most people don’t know this. But it hasn’t kept her from running countless marathons, and most recently qualifying for the Boston Marathon. Another little known fact: Julie can’t actually tie her shoes. She runs (and began) multiple running groups at soundRUNNER, but if you’ll notice, her shoes are always tied when she puts them on.
TEDDY MARAK hails from the illustrious town of Guilford where he was captain of both cross country and track. His team also won the State Class L title while he was at Guilford High School. Teddy is also a veteran volleyball player, making up half of the team that won the 2002 Hawaiian Open. He was also a former member of the US National Volleyball Team. Now Teddy runs cross country and track at Marist College in NY. When home from school Teddy works at soundRUNNER. He shares his seemingly endless knowledge about running and life with customers, every word a verbal fortune cookie.
JESSE EFRON started out on the streets of Brooklyn, jumping rope to stay in shape. Practice turned into devotion, and at the age of 13 he was a member of the Double Dutch team that won the Tri-Borough Championship. Jesse moved to Guilford, where he turned in his jump rope for a pair of track spikes. Jesse attended Connecticut College where he continued to run. Jesse has turned into something of a Jack of all trades, working at soundRUNNER, devoting himself to a professional yo-yoing career, while providing personal coaching for athletes. He also excels at counting by 3’s.
AMY BEAUSOLEIL spent most of her time snowshoeing the mountain ranges of the Rhode Island wilderness before joining the soundRUNNER squad in 2004. It could be her unparalleled work ethic, or maybe her addiction to GU Gel that has propelled her to the position of manager in just two short years. Her modesty prevents her from saying so, but she is an accomplished Four Square player and burgeoning natural talent on the race walking scene. She does it for the love of walking, but the prize money she wins at large competitions doesn’t hurt either. Walking is the new Running.
PRESTON RANTON dabbles in it all. Since graduating from U of M, Preston has been a force in the workings of the soundRUNNER business. He manages several aspects of the business, including the E-bay site and developing a section of the store promoting basketball footwear and apparel for men and women. Some call Preston “the face of soundRUNNER” because of his frequent television appearances. His unforgettable performance as the dying boyfriend to Kate on Days of Our Lives almost won him an Emmy. Of note as well was a memorable Kiwi Battle with Cat Cora on Iron Chef America.
ALEX “ALECTRIC” RANTON is the Maverick of the soundRUNNER. His final year at Berklee keeps everyone wondering what’s next. Those familiar with the underground karaoke circuit can map out his rise to stardom. His talent for off beat lyrics fuses well with his air-guitar skills, making him unstoppable in air-guitar battles. He holds the record at 31-0 for the most wins for his age. Once Alex graduates, he will be touring Japan in hopes of extending his title on foreign soil.
GRETCHEN CARLSON’S competitive nature keeps her one step ahead of all of the kids she races against. Her accolades run for miles. Notably, she managed to run the Greater Hartford Marathon over 16 minutes faster than her previous marathon. But perhaps even more impressive is her current undefeated status in Children’s Fun Runs. She holds course records for 7 different children’s races across the state. Most outstanding was her recent victory at the Trumbull Run and Rumble 1.5 Mile Run where she beat the young field by over 3 minutes. She works at soundRUNNER when not training with her husband and three children for future competitions.
JUDY DECAPRIO works at soundRUNNER now that she’s finished teaching in the Branford school system. Six grandchildren would be more than enough for even the above average person, but Judy’s intuition and high-octane energy levels make her a highly sought after personal detective. Her client base ranges from private contractors to national organizations. There hasn’t been a case yet she hasn’t solved. How she rose to such a successful sleuthing career is a kept secret, but many people have seen her with a mystery book in hand…
