Andrew Kimpel, Founder
If you race regularly in the Inland Northwest, whether on the roads or trails, there's a good chance you've crossed paths with Andrew Kimpel. Andrew discovered his passion for running while attending North Central High School in Spokane, Washington, under the guidance of head coach Jon Knight and the legendary wordsmith Len Long. During his time there, he helped lead NC to three consecutive 3A cross country state championships, two consecutive state track and field team titles (and an individual title in the 3200 his senior year), and played a huge role in a team Nike Cross Nationals championship title in 2008.
He continued his running career at Washington State University, where he earned the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2010 Junior World Cross Country Championships in Poland, and helped lead the Cougars to an NCAA Championship appearance in 2011. After college, Andrew returned to Spokane and remained deeply invested in the running community that helped shape him. He has continued to compete at a high level throughout the United States, highlighted by four top-20 finishes at Bloomsday and three top-10 finishes at the Boulevard Race. For nearly a decade, he coached cross country and track at his alma mater, helping mentor the next generation of runners - including Justin Janke.
Over the years, Andrew and Justin's paths became increasingly intertwined. What began as a coach-athlete relationship evolved into a friendship built on a shared passion for running, racing, and the Spokane community. While still in school, Justin designed apparel for North Central while Andrew coached the program, providing an early glimpse of the creative partnership that would eventually follow.
Inspired by the people, races, and rich history that make running in the Inland Northwest so special, Andrew envisioned a brand that could celebrate and strengthen the community he loves. When it came time to bring that vision to life, partnering with Justin was a natural choice. Drawing on a shared history spanning more than a decade, the two founded Lilac City Running Company—a brand dedicated to honoring the Inland Northwest's running heritage and vibrant running community.
Justin Janke, Creative Director
Justin Janke's career as a distance runner has mirrored and interconnected with Andrew's in many ways. Justin grew up in a running family, and in elementary school watched Andrew win state (and Nike Cross Nationals) in 2008. He was hooked. Justin also attended North Central High School and also ran for Jon Knight and Len Long, and during his time helped continue NC's 3A cross country state championship winning streak started by Andrew and his teammates, a winning record that started in 2006 and lasted through 2016 (after Justin went to college). By the time he graduated, he'd contributed to three consecutive 3A cross country state championships, a third place team finish at Nike Cross Nationals in 2014, and had won the triple crown his senior year (winning the individual cross country, 3200, and 1600 titles), setting school records in the 1600 and 3200 along the way.
During that time, Andrew had returned to Spokane and had acted as Justin's training partner/ assistant coach, and was there when Justin decided to continue his running career at Washington State University as well. In college, Justin earned an opportunity to represent Team USA himself at the 2017 NACAC Cross Country Championships in Florida, and contributed to a NCAA Cross Country Championship appearance in 2017.
After a college career-ending achilles surgery, Justin linked up with the Gonzaga men's cross country team and worked his way back into racing, and has since acted as an unofficial assistant coach to the Gonzaga men's distance program under head coach Pat Tyson. He is also very involved in the Spokane running community, but often spends more time spectating than racing.
Considering their history together, it should be no surprise that when Andrew came knocking for help with his vision for Lilac City, Justin was quick to answer the call. Justin graduated college with bachelor's and master's degrees in apparel design, and has since put them to use in designing everything from the Lilac logo to the marketing to the apparel itself. Lilac City was created to be a running brand with a unique visual identity that honors the Inland Northwest's legacy and represents its present and future as well.
