Hello racers, running fans, and Friends of Vimazi! We’re excited to announce the 2023 Vimazi Event calendar. We'll update this post as we gather details and add events.
At Vimazi, our mission is to champion the spirit of running for all runners. Running can be so invigorating, and that’s true at every pace. If you bring it, we’ll be here to cheer you on.
So much of the spirit of running exists at and is embodied by the thousands of running events held every year, from short 5K and 8K fun runs to the longer half marathons and marathons. Your running friends, a supportive community, medals to show off, shirts and swag, a limp to brag about on Monday. That’s why we love bringing the Vimazi tent out to a few races every year to support the events, offer encouragement to all you runners, and to spread the word about pace-tuned running shoes.
Events! Here’s the short version, followed by more details below, of where you’ll find the Vimazi tent in 2023. Events will be added and changed, so be sure to check back.
April 25 - Vimazi Day at North Coast Runners Supply
Stop by and demo the shoes!
Astoria, Oregon
April 30 - Vimazi Joins the Seattle REI Run Club
10am at the Flagship REI to demo shoes during a 5k run. Then shoes for sale!
Seattle, Washington
May 7 - Bloomsday 12k Run
Booth 306 at the pre-race expo on May 5-6
Spokane, Washington
May 11 - Runchella, Running Industry Assoc Show
We'll be talking to run retailers from around the country.
Chicago, Illinois
June 25 - Missoula Marathon (5K, Half Marathon, Marathon)
See you June 23-24 at the pre-race expo.
Missoula, Montana
July 23 - San Francisco Marathon (5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon)
San Francisco, California
September 1-2 - Pocatello Marathon
Pocatello, Idaho
September 8-9 - Pine to Palm 100 Mile
Ashland, Oregon
September 23 - Suffer Fest Half Marathon & 50K
Ketchum, Idaho
September 29-30 - Portland Marathon (Half Marathon, Marathon)
Portland, Oregon
March 25-26, 2023
Seattle Cherry Blossom Run
Seattle, Washington
Saturday, March 25: 5K run
Sunday, March 26: Half Marathon
The Cherry Blossom Run, sponsored by the UW and the UW Botanical Gardens and with around 6,000 runners over two days of racing, has one of the sweetest race shirt designs ever. Trust us! The shirt is based on the University of Washington’s famous cherry trees. As you know the Quad at UW is home to some of the oldest and most beautiful yoshino cherry blossom displays you'll ever see. More than 100 other cherry tree varieties grow in other locations on campus.
You’ll find the Vimazi tent near the finish line on both Saturday and Sunday. All races finish on the UW campus not far from the Quad that will be filled with blooming cherry trees. The Vimazi Z20 and Z30 should be launching in March, and we’re sure to have our coming trail shoes on hand.
As of early February, these local stores plan to carry at least some Vimazi models. Give them some love!
Northwest Tri & Bike
Seven Hills Running
West Seattle Runner
If you run the race in a pair of Vimazi pace-tuned shoes, stop by our tent and we might just have a little something for you.
May 5-7, 2023
Bloomsday 12K Run
Spokane, Washington
Friday and Saturday, May 5-6: Race Expo
Sunday, May 7: 12K run
Started in 1977, Bloomsday is now one of the largest runs in the country with around 25,000 runners. It has a great combo of fun runners alongside elite competition. The 12K course tours Spokane, crossing the Spokane River just past the halfway point. Finishers of the in-person race will earn the super-secret Bloomsday 2023 finisher shirt.
You’ll find the Vimazi tent at the race expo on Friday and Saturday. We’ll have shoes for sale and be on the cusp of dropping the Vimazi Trail Z2 and Trail Z3. Stop by early to make sure we have your model and size.
We plan to be coordinating with Fleet Feet Spokane while at Bloomsday. If you miss the race expo, you should be able to find Vimazi running shoes there.
If you plan to run the race in a pair of pace-tuned Vimazi shoes, stop by our tent with your race shoes and we might just have a little something for you.
June 23-25, 2023
Missoula Marathon
Missoula, Montana
Friday and Saturday, June 23-24: Race Expo and 5K run
Sunday, June 25: Half Marathon, Marathon
Why run the Missoula Marathon? Because it’s flat, fast, USATF certified, and a Boston Qualifier. It’s also insanely beautiful. The course is point-to-point, beginning with a scenic route through the countryside and finishing in historic downtown Missoula. Usually about 5,000 runners participate.
Find the Vimazi tent at the race expo on Friday and Saturday. Chances are good that we will have launched the Vimazi Trail Z2 and Trail Z3. Excellent timing to have trail shoes for Missoula! Stop by to check them out, along with our other eight pace-tuned models.
Don’t miss the Runner’s Edge booth when you visit the expo.
If you plan to run the race in a pair of pace-tuned Vimazi shoes, stop by our tent with your race shoes and we might just have a little something for you.
July 20-23, 2023
San Francisco Marathon
San Francisco, California
Friday and Saturday, July 21-22: Race Expo
Sunday, July 23: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon
This iconic race tours San Francisco and even crosses the Golden Gate Bridge. Definitely a bucket list marathon if there was one. Who knows if you’ll run in fog or sun, but the hills on the course are a certainty. Lots of spectators to follow the estimated 25,000 runners. The Full Marathon course is USATF certified and a Boston Marathon and Olympic Time Trials qualifying race.
Stop by the Vimazi tent at the race expo on Friday and Saturday. We’ll have a few shoes for sale, so get there early to make sure we have your model and size.
We hope to have a local retailer ready to go in July. If you have a Bay Area connection, let us know. It's also very helpful if you ask your running shoe store to carry Vimazi.
If you plan to run the race in a pair of pace-tuned Vimazi shoes, stop by our tent with your race shoes and we might just have a little something for you.
September 22-23, 2023
FitOne Half Marathon
Boise, Idaho
Saturday, September 23: Half Marathon, 10K, 5K and Expo
Sponsored by St Jude’s, FitOne is a big deal in Boise, and the community always comes out with support. Great band after the race in 2022.
You’ll find the Vimazi flag on race day at the Shu’s Idaho Running Company booth. Stop by after you’ve run or spectated and say hello. We’ll have a limited number of shoes for sale, so get there early to make sure we have your model and size. We may be at the Shu’s shop on State Street on Friday, the day before the race. Plus, we may have our new Z80 and Z90 models available. More info to come.
If you run the race in a pair of pace-tuned Vimazi shoes, stop by and we might just have a little something for you.
September 30 - October 1
Portland Marathon
Portland, Oregon
Saturday, September 30: Race Expo
Sunday, October 1: Half Marathon and Marathon
This is the Vimazi hometown marathon, so we love to be there and support it. You’ll run through funky Portland neighborhoods and cross over the Willamette River. It’s beautiful and fun, as long as the temperature stays cool.
Look for the Vimazi flag at the race expo on Saturday. We’ll have a few shoes for sale and all ten pace-tuned models should be available. Stop by early to make sure we have your model and size.
Make sure to stop by the Foot Traffic booth while at the expo. If you're coming in from the coast to run the marathon, you can always stop at North Coast Runners Supply in Astoria.
If you plan to run the race in a pair of pace-tuned Vimazi shoes, stop by our table with your race shoes and we might just have a little something for you.
More About Vimazi
Here’s what Vimazi does
We make pace-tuned running shoes that provide better cushioning and more efficiency than previous generations of running shoes.
The physics of pace-tuned shoes
Back in 2017, while Vimazi CEO Scott Tucker was running to his 6am interval workout, he had an idea. A shoe made for a specific pace, he thought, might offer better cushioning and more propulsive efficiency than a generic shoe that wasn’t “tuned” for a particular pace.
It took three years to fully understand the physics of human running, and the forces that are generated. When we finally understood the physics, we built an equation that defines running forces. We’re now able to calculate the exact impact force and propulsion force, in Newtons, for any pace, including variations for height, weight, and cadence. (A Newton is a metric unit of force.) Data from the Forces in Running study we conducted aligned with the force calculations we got from the physics. In other words, we know it works.
Knowing the precise impact and propulsion forces at each pace, allowed us to create shoe models for different pace zones. So our pace-tuned technology is based on pure physics. No hand waving, no conjecture, no correlative studies, no self-reported data sets, no marketing fluff. We started with the physics of human running, and it led us to pace-tuned shoes.
The problem with previous gen running shoes
Most running shoes have the same foam density from heel to toe, and they’re sold to runners of every pace. The trouble is that midsole foam can’t respond correctly to the forces at all paces, and it can’t even respond appropriately to the differences between impact and propulsion forces. To make sure you get all the cushioning you want as well as all the efficiency you deserve, you need a shoe that’s made for a specific pace zone and tuned differently in the heel than the forefoot.
The Vimazi solution
Our solution to this running shoe problem was to create something that's never been done before—pace-tuned running shoes. In 2023, after years of testing, we launched seven road shoe models that span paces from 4:30 minutes per mile to 15 minutes per mile (2:50-9:30 minutes per kilometer). By making a shoe for a specific pace zone, we’ve been able to deliver better impact cushioning and propulsion efficiency for every runner.
25 years experience
We’ve taken everything we learned making running shoes for 25 years—and running marathons for even longer—and elevated it to a whole new level with pace tuning. It offers a better and more personal running experience. We were instrumental in creating shoes for Montrail, Scott Sports, and Pearl Izumi. We learned even more while owning a specialty running store and organizing running events.
A marathoner’s fit
Running shoes can have the best tech, but if they don’t fit well, nobody will wear them. We wouldn’t either! Not only have we spent our careers perfecting innovative fit technologies at other companies, notably at Montrail, we’re also life-long marathon runners ourselves. So we understand fit and know how critical it is, from heel to toe. Each of our models has been painstakingly designed and built with the perfect fit in mind. They’ve also been extensively road tested since 2019, including at the Boston, London, Portland, Missoula, San Antonio, and Two Oceans Marathons. We think you’ll love them.
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