Reflections from the Trail: THOR at the 2024 IMBA Leadership Summit
Photo By: Liz Chrisman, IMBA
Know what’s even better than riding some of the best urban wilderness trails in the country? Doing it right after a full day of learning how to bring that same level of trail excellence back home.
The Trails Have Our Respect (THOR) team had the incredible opportunity to attend the 2024 IMBA Local Level Up Leadership Summit in Knoxville, Tennessee this past September. Let’s say—our cups are full.
Riding + Learning = Next-Level Stoke
Trail leaders, IMBA staffers, community advocates, and local government reps came together to learn, collaborate, and ride. Presenters included inspiring voices from organizations like SORBA, the California Mountain Biking Coalition, and THOR itself! We shared stories, challenges, and vision—all centered around building sustainable, equitable, and thriving trail communities.
Photo By: Liz Chrisman, IMBA
Day One: Building Strong Foundations
IMBA kicked things off by grounding us in the essentials: trail development processes, nonprofit leadership, partnership building, and community engagement. The sessions were packed with valuable insights—from how to work with major donors to creating impactful marketing strategies. No matter the size or maturity of an organization, this was a deep dive into what it takes to run a healthy, successful trails nonprofit.
Day Two: Shared Wisdom, Stronger Together
The second day was all about connection—hearing from each other, learning what’s working in different corners of the country, and finding common ground in our challenges. Whether your org has thousands of members or just a couple of die-hard volunteers, the takeaway is the same: we are all in this together and stronger because of it.
The collective knowledge in the room was incredible. Leaders from all walks of life—educators, engineers, social workers, creatives—each bring unique skills to serve their communities and the trails they love.
Photo By: Liz Chrisman, IMBA
And then, of course, we rode more bikes. Knoxville’s trail network is the dream—flowy, fun, and maintained with love. The ride time was the perfect way to deepen connections and see the power of a well-resourced trail system in action.
Looking Ahead
The energy at this summit was contagious. The passion in the room? Unmatched. And the vision moving forward? Crystal clear.
As THOR, we’re fired up to bring these lessons and relationships back to Omaha. We’re thinking bigger, reaching wider, and dreaming of even more trails close to home. Events like the IMBA Leadership Summit don’t just inspire—they ignite.
Huge thanks to IMBA, SORBA, the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club, the City of Knoxville, and all the amazing people who made this event possible. Let’s do it again soon!
Photo By: Liz Chrisman, IMBA
