Youth Programs

Striders

The Striders program is designed to provide high-quality physical activity breaks to youth in Pre-K classrooms during the school day. Striders curriculum uses games and activities that focus on developing vital gross motor skills that students need upon entering elementary school.

Chicago Runners

The Chicago Runners program is designed for youth in Kindergarten through 5th grade. This program provides incorporates structured running breaks during the school day to promote well-being and improve concentration in the classroom.

Running Mates

The Running Mates program utilizes running to improve social and emotional well-being of young people from 3rd grade through high school. This program provides an inclusive and non-competitive environment in which young people work towards completing a local 5k race, while developing a positive self-image, promoting goal setting, and building relationships with peers and positive mentors.

LACE Up!

The LACE Up! program is a year-long paid internship designed for post-secondary students, including Chicago Run program alumni. Participants develop leadership skills while continuing to build their physical and social and emotional well-being, and explore careers in youth development.

Notable Partners

  • Chicago Run is an official Healthy CPS Partner, in collaboration with the Office of Student Health and Wellness. Our during-school programs supported CPS schools in achieving district wide health-and-wellness goals stated within each site's Healthy CPS Checklist and Continuous Improvement Work Plan.

  • We have partnered with the Chicago Park District to bring running and movement activities from Chicago Runners to the Chicago Park Day Camp program during the summer. We have also held community-based Running Mates teams at parks.

  • We partner with the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) to bring our Running Mates program to residents aged 12 to 17 living in the facility. Each season, participants are provided appropriate running shoes during practices while they train for a race hosted inside the facility.