Chicago Run Halloween Hustle Recap

Students, parents, and staff from 49 Chicago Public Schools came together this past Saturday for Chicago Run’s Halloween Hustle, a 1-mile fun run that promotes physical fitness and healthy living. The participants were joined by a number of special guests, including paralympian Melissa Stockwell and CPS Chief Education Officer, Noemi Donoso. Big Ben, mascot of the Chicago Bulls, was also on hand to get the crowd going. Congratulations to all of our students for the hard work they’ve put in this fall. We look forward to seeing everyone again in June!

 

 

 

 
On Tuesday, September 27th, Running Mates from all ten of our participating schools were joined by two very special guests for their training run at Chicago’s 31st St. Beach. George McCaskey and D.J. Moore of the Chicago Bears were on hand to discuss the importance of training and eating right, and also joined us for our run along the lake! George is the Chairman and co-owner of the Bears, and D.J. is a starting cornerback. Thank you George and D.J.!

 

 

The run is part of an 8-week training program that our Running Mates are currently taking part in as they prepare for the Pumpkins in the Park 5K on October 15th. Best of luck at the race!

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS?

We hope that 90/94 traffic has been a little more bearable these days with the new mural of Chicago Run on the Bank of America Building off of the North Avenue exit!  The mural features our Chicago Run students and a teacher from CICS Bucktown, J.W. Kuebler, who is running on our Chicago Run Marathon Charity Team.  This is J.W.'s second year running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and being a part of our fundraising efforts to get more students healthy and active.  Bank of America has been an integral part of Chicago Run's development and  we are grateful that they have included our organization in their "Let's Run Together" campaign for the Chicago Marathon.  We can't wait to cheer on J.W. and all of the other Chicago Run Charity Runners on Sunday, October 9th! 


Click here to learn more about the
Chicago Run Charity Marathon Team!

On August 11th, Running Mates from Ward, Walsh, and Columbia Explorers Academy took part in the Elvis is Alive 5K along Chicago’s lake front. The race was the culmination of their 7-week summer training program, and we saw a lot of PR’s from our Running Mates (along with a lot of Elvis look-a-likes)!

On July 28^th, a group of Chicago Run’s Running Mates were joined by a very special guest during their training run at Northerly Island Park on Chicago’s lakefront. Ryan Hall, Olympian and participant in this year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon, dropped by to share some training techniques and lead our students out on their run. The U.S. half-marathon record holder capped the day off by signing autographs and posing for photos with the group, which consisted of students from Walsh, Ward, and Columbia Explorers Academy.

On a bright and sunny Saturday in Washington Park, more than 2,500 students, family members, and friends braved the heat and humidity to attend our Spring 2011 Fun Run on June 4^th.  The event was a culmination of all the hard work and dedication that so many students and teachers have put in this year in an effort to stay physically fit and lead healthy lifestyles. In addition to the run, the day included jugglers, a performance by the Chicago Boyz Acrobat Team, and free health screenings provided by Walgreens. Three schools were awarded at the event for an outstanding commitment to staying active, with students from each school having averaged over 50 miles run while participating in our Chicago Run program throughout the school year. This run also marked the debut of Chicago Run’s very own mascots, who were tough to miss in their head-to-toe orange outfits. Look for them again this fall, as we look forward to an even bigger and better Fun Run on October 29^th!

2011"Little Step, Big Stars" Fundraiser Recap

On Thursday, May 19th over 230 guests attended the 3rd Annual “Little Steps, Big Stars” Fundraiser at the James Hotel to celebrate the accomplishments and hard work that the Chicago Public Schools have done to promote active and healthy lifestyles through our Chicago Run programs.

The event honored Carey Pinkowski, Executive Race Director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and Dr. Adam Becker, Executive Director of CLOCC (Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children) with the Go the Distance Awards for their service to the running community and the public health sector respectively. We also heard from one of our students, Alex Roman, and Brenda Fonseca, a teacher and parent at Walsh Elementary School. Both Alex and Brenda exemplify the hard work and dedication that our teachers and children put forth in their participation in their Chicago Run programs.

We appreciate all of the support and look forward to getting more kids on the path towards health and fitness!

On a brisk and chilly Halloween morning, 86 Running Mates ran and completed Fleet Feet’s Trick or Treat Trot 5k at Montrose Harbor.  All our participants were well-equipped to race after Nike’s generous donation of running shoes for each Running Mate.  Nike has helped Chicago Run expand our Running Mates program from three schools to five schools this 2010 Academic Year.  Running Mates is an after-school program designed to prepare kids ages 11 to 14 years old to run in a local 5k or 8k race while learning about team-building, nutrition, and leadership.  Chicago Run always needs adult pacers to help our kids at their races, so if you are interested please contact Robert Turpin at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  The Running Mates program will resume in late winter with their preparation for the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8k in the spring.  

        
On Thursday, October 14^th, 75 participants from the “Running Mates” program and 50 high school students from Team M3 traveled to Niketown on Michigan Avenue to “go for a run together” on the lakefront followed by healthy snacks.  The event was sponsored by Nike who has continued to be a generous donor and lead sponsor of Chicago Run.  At the event, Nike staff (Regina Andaloro and Ryan Carter) presented Chicago Run with a $25k grant for the continued programming of “Running Mates” in the 2010-2011 Academic Year.  “Running Mates” is our middle-school program that trains kids to run in a local 5k or 8k race while learning about nutrition, team-building, and cross-community collaboration.   Come cheer on or pace our Running Mates at their next race  - Fleet Feet’s Trick or Treat Trot on Sunday, October 31^st.  For more information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Saturday, November 6^th marked the 2^nd Annual Fall Fun Run in Washington Park.  Over 1,800 students, parents, and teachers participated in the 1-Mile run and enjoyed healthy snacks, Nike giveaways, and an energizing warm-up with Benny the Bull.  The event would not have been possible without the support of over 50 volunteers and the corporate sponsorship of Aetna, Nike, Bank of America, Chicago Park District, CPS, and the Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation.  

The top three male and female runners received medals for their times in the Elite Mile Race.
Elite Top Finishers:
Male - Anthony Morales, Columbia Explorers - 6:29
Female - Vanessa Anezquita, Columbia Explorers - 8:10

In addition, the top three schools received trophies for the most average miles/student for the Fall 2010.
1st Place - Jungman Elementary
2nd Place - CICS Bucktown
3rd Place - Academy of Global Citizenship