Owners David and Paula Harkin have operated Portland Running Company since 2000. They opened Portland Running on Grand Avenue in 2003.

David Harkin, a Portland resident for eight years, attended University of Oregon and graduated in 1993. After a four-year teaching career that took him to Louisiana, Colorado, and Seattle, Dave eventually returned to Oregon where he met his wife and business partner Paula. He has won several local events including the Race for the Roses Half Marathon, the Vancouver Lake Half Marathon, the Sauvie Island Flat Half, The Hagg Lake 25K Trail run, and he is a four-time champion of the Newport Marathon.

Paula Harkin, founder of Run With Paula Events, has woven a comprehensive web for local runners that includes Portland Running Company, Portland Fit, Portland Running Club, and her marquis events which include the Hippie Chick Half Marathon (four-time Best All Women’s Event — CitySports NW), Helvetia Half Marathon (four-time Best Half Marathon — CitySports NW), Midsummer Meltdown, Crawfish Crawl, and Pints To Pasta (three-time Best 10K — CitySports NW). Paula is a competitive runner as well as a mother of two. She is recognized as an industry leader in running retail and event marketing.