Flagstaff is home to a large and devoted running community (including Soulstice co-founders Myles and Julie). Locals run every surface from track to trail and every distance from 5K to ultra. We run on our own, with groups, and in competition. And people come from across the globe to train up here at 7,000 feet. This town is home and host to national champions and Olympians, as well as scads of regular people who just like to run.
To Imogene, a Flagstaff Love Letter
This book project was sparked by our inspiring running community and its unique relationship with Colorado’s Imogene Pass Run. For many years, Flagstaff has sent more runners to that iconic trail race between Ouray and Telluride than any other town—including any town in Colorado. Myles started to wonder why.
It turned out there were as many answers as there were Flagstaff runners who’d made it across the 13,000-foot Imogene Pass.
To Imogene, a Flagstaff Love Letter is filled with personal stories, photos, illustrations, and full-color memories that intimately show what the Imogene race means to Flagstaff, and in turn what Flagstaff gives to the race.
The Imogene team
We solicited people’s stories in fall 2018 and received more than 70 contributions. We also started working with local artist Linda Sherman, an Imogene runner (and age-group record-holder) whose watercolors of the southern Rockies and the run itself tell the Imogene story beautifully. Linda created two gorgeous watercolors just for this project, one of the uphill side and one of the downhill. In addition to being featured in the book, they’re also available for sale as prints. This really is a community project!
We’ve edited and revised the book with our authors and delivered it to Flagstaff graphic designer Mary Ross for layout. The talented Krista Esse is creating illustrations to brighten its pages. We anticipate publication in August 2019.
To find out who contributed and learn more about the team, visit our Imogene team page. We’ve also listed every single person named in the book, from running buddies and crew to family and friends (with a few writers and basketball stars thrown in!).
Now available for preorder!
Preorder one book or a dozen (or more!) and get your copies the moment they’re available. We’re also offering prints of Linda Sherman’s watercolors. Learn more here.
The Flagstaff Imogene Circle
There’s a whole community behind this book project, and our gratitude goes out to everyone who supports it, whether by contributing stories and photos, cheering us on the steep trail uphill toward publication, or offering financial support. To see who’s joined the circle or learn how you can take part, read on!
BLE Flagstaff
To give back to the community that is making this book possible, we’ve chosen to donate 10% of net sales to BLE Flagstaff. This nonprofit organization performs random acts of kindness with the intent to make a positive difference in the community. These acts can take many unexpected forms and include anyone. BLE Flagstaff believes that through kindness, we can all “pay it forward” and help create a culture of giving that can benefit all of us.