14 minute read
MEET CHICAGO’S 2022 AMBASSADOR CLASS
BY CINDY KUZMA
To celebrate the return of Chicago’s premier running portfolio, we worked with local runners from different clubs and neighborhoods around the city to learn more about who makes up the Chicago running community. Each runner trained for and participated in the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle and the Bank of America Chicago 13.1, and soon will toe the Bank of America Chicago Marathon start line with you! Learn more about our 2022 ambassadors below.
CARLA BENTON Rogers Park Running Club
Early Tuesday mornings, Carla meets the Rogers Park Running Club to travel the streets of the Far North Side neighborhood. The members come from all backgrounds and walks of life—fitting, since according to a recent analysis, Rogers Park’s demographics most closely reflect the city’s overall vibrant diversity.
That proof of inclusion—in practice, not just in theory—promotes equitable access to the sport, Carla says. “I’ve had experiences in the running community where I’ve shown up and almost everybody else has looked a certain way, and that hasn’t felt great,” she says. “It can be alienating; it’s not really enough to say ‘All are welcome; all abilities are welcome,’ when there’s visual evidence that directly contradicts that. I also appreciate that the RPRC Tuesday crew typically isn’t there to race the route; while a variety of paces always show up, we tend to stick together for an opportunity to catch up on what’s been going on.”
After a decade in New York City, Carla moved to Chicago in 2016. While the sport has played a role
in her work as a book copy editor, most of her colleagues are still based in New York, so her work environment is largely independent. “Running itself has led me to meet a significant majority of the friends I’ve made here,” she says.
This year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon will be Carla’s fifth; it will also be a homecoming of sorts, as it will only be her second as a Chicago resident, and she was still relatively new to living in the city when she last ran it in 2017. “Six years in, no other place I’ve lived has felt as much like home as Chicago has,” she says. “I’m really excited to re-experience these 26.2 miles on foot and take in that hometown fanfare.”
Favorite running routes: “I live in Edgewater and can often be found literally running errands around the city. I’m close to the top of the Lakefront Trail, so that’s a go-to route, but other favorites include Warren Park in Rogers Park, as well as Evanston’s lakefront, especially up around Northwestern’s campus.”
MACK EXILUS GumboFit
When Mack worked as an actor, he ran as he rehearsed his lines, breaking down every syllable and breath. After his mom passed away in 2011, the miles acted as a salve for his grief.
And when he moved to Chicago last year from New York, running connected him to the city’s streets, art and architecture—and a whole new community, GumboFit. “Being around like-minded people that have the same vibe has been huge,” he says.
Mack, a first-generation Haitian-American, now lives in Humboldt Park and works as a therapist. In his own life, and the lives of his clients, he sees the healing power of movement. “If I’m having a bad day, I can go to the track and put all that energy there and leave it there,” he says. “Long runs are meditative, a good way to process complex emotions.”
Though he’s a transplant, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon feels like a bit of a homecoming. He first ran the race in 2013, years before he moved here. To return to the course as a resident and an ambassador makes these 26.2 miles even more meaningful, he says: “It’s like Chicago opening its arms to me, saying, ‘We welcome you.’”
Favorite running routes: “Humboldt Park is a great place to run, and there’s so many layers— you can get 8 miles of fun in there, if you want. I also love running on the South Side, in Bronzeville. Start at Last Lap Cornerstore (330 E. 51st St., Box #13) and head east through Washington Park, then all the way to the lakefront.”
IRMA GARZA Windrunners
Winning her first two-mile time trial in high school showed Irma she had running talent. Experience with injuries led to her career in physical therapy. Now, with the power of a team, she’s running her healthiest, physically and mentally.
Irma ran at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. After she came to Chicagoland for PT school at Midwestern University, she ran only sporadically; CrossFit became her go-to workout. “In college, you can get an unhealthy relationship with running,” she says. “I got away from it for a few years.”
But running kept pulling her back. Members of the elite all-female racing team Windrunners noticed her training alone at the track. They invited her to practices, and soon, she joined.
This year’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon will be Irma’s fifth, and she has a big goal: to run around 3:09, a nearly 20-minute personal best and a Boston Marathon qualifying time.
Regardless of her speed, she hopes her example encourages others who question their place. “I’m a woman of color and part of the queer community, and I’m doing this,” she says. Her role as an ambassador, getting to know groups throughout the city, has shown her there’s a spot for everyone in the sport: “You are supported no matter what you look like or where you come from.”
Favorite running routes: “I love the 606, where we do Tuesday-morning tempos. You see people from EDGE Athlete Lounge and others who don’t live on the north side. We have a big, diverse running scene.”
EMMA HERMANN Nameless Track Club
After growing up in suburban Michigan and attending small Williams College—which had only about 2,000 undergraduates—Emma never saw herself as a city girl. But after graduation, the collegiate track and cross country runner found herself moving to Chicago for work. She lived downtown, in a Loop still returning to life post-lockdown. At first, far from wooded trails and open space, she struggled to feel at peace.
Still, she ran, like she always did. Soon, the sport expanded her horizons and rooted her in a new place. “I met all of my best friends through running in the city,” she says. “My sphere has done nothing but grow.”
Now, she lives in lively Lakeview/Wrigleyville and is so enamored with Chicago and its running scene she’s helping to launch a new team, Nameless Track Club (the moniker started as a placeholder, then stuck). The group offers Friday-morning community runs—6:30 a.m. at the Fullerton drinking fountain, open to all—and also will include a competitive team and youth outreach.
A 10,000-meter specialist in college, Emma ran her first 26.2 last year in Chicago, and achieved her goal of breaking three hours (she ran 2:59). This year, her stretch goal is sub-2:50. In the meantime, she’s enjoying every mile of her training, especially those she shares. “I would never do what I do without the people who do it with me,” she says.
Favorite running routes: “I’m close enough to Montrose Track to jog there for my warm-up before a workout.” (continued on page 34)
JAMIE HERSHFANG DWRunning
Growing up in Chicago, Jamie watched the marathon every year—it literally ran down her street. “Some years are really hot, some years are really cold,” she’d think. “How do they run that far when it’s 40 degrees out?” She had no idea, at the time, how thoroughly she’d embrace the challenge.
Jamie was originally a swimmer, but found running in high school, and quickly realized she had talent. In addition, the sport helped pull her through recovery from an eating disorder. “Running was a positive light for me—it gave me a goal to work toward,” she says. “I learned to appreciate what my body could do.”
Injuries kept Jamie from feeling like she reached her athletic potential in college. So she kept going, joining coach Dan Walters and his team, DW Running. She ran her first Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2017, and has gone on to even longer distances—she ran the fastest 50mile time in the country in 2021, and hopes to one day represent Team USA at an ultra-distance world championship.
But for now, she’s happy to return to the place where it all started, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. After another injury earlier this year, she’s rebuilt her strength and renewed her gratitude. “Your legs never forget how to run,” she says. “But I never take any day for granted.”
Favorite running routes: “The North Branch trail goes forever and it’s just beautiful. It feels like you’re so far away from the city. There’s a lot of greenery and houses and it’s really quiet. If you drive about 30 minutes, you can get to some pretty cool trails and hills, including Waterfall Glen and the Morton Arboretum.”
JACK HOFFMAN Peace Runners
Jack, born and raised in Garfield Park, knows the West Side neighborhood’s beauty—the botanical wonders in the Conservatory, the shining Gold Dome in the park, the compassion of its people.
And, he’s well-versed in its struggles: the lack of retail and grocery stores, violence, a shortened life expectancy for residents (69 years, on average).
In 2020, he merged his newfound love for running—he started in 2016, when his football career ended—with service to the community. He organized a Juneteenth run, on short notice, and drew about 30 people.
He hoped to build on that momentum, but COVID paused group gatherings. So, he filed paperwork to start a non-profit. Now, Peace Runners 773 includes a running club, a walking group for older residents called Young at Heart and youth programs, all spreading health and wellness to an underserved community. This summer, the group’s Juneteenth 5K attracted 130 runners.
A total of 14 Peace Runners, including Jack, completed the inaugural Bank of America Chicago 13.1, which brought runners from around the city and country to their backyard. Jack kissed his mom at mile 6; the race day festival was held by the Gold Dome.
In October, 10 members of the team—9 firsttimers, including Jack—will run the full 26.2. It won’t be easy, he knows, but he’s ready. “The marathon provides the opportunity to get uncomfortable and challenge yourself; that’s where the growth is,” he says.
Favorite running routes: “Come run with Peace Runners—we meet at the Gold Dome every Saturday at 9. We do a route we call the West Side tour, which highlights spots like the 345 Art Gallery and the Garfield Park Conservatory.”
TERRANCE LYLES Black Chicago Runners & Men Run Deez Streets
Growing up, Terrance’s dad Bernard was a runner, defying stereotypes. Terrance picked up the sport in 2006, during a tough time in his life. “I told myself, ‘If I can complete a marathon, then I can get through anything,’” he says.
He crossed that finish line, and kept going. Now, he’s run 32 marathons, and this fall will be his tenth in Chicago. He has also completed a 50mile ultramarathon along the lakefront and takes on triathlons. In June, he finished his first Ironman 70.3—a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and 13.1-mile run.
And, he’s brought others along. In 2013, he started Men Run Deez Streets, to increase the numbers of Black men tackling longer distances.
The next year, he created a larger organization— Black Chicago Runners—to bring his group closer to others, including Black Girls Run, Beverly Beauties and South Holland Runners. Running together would be motivating, he thought, so he began organizing joint lakefront runs on Saturdays.
Since then, Black Chicago Runners has grown beyond his wildest dreams. “Now, we’ve built relationships outside running,” he says. Group members visit each other’s favorite neighborhoods and restaurants, celebrate milestones together and mourn disappointments and losses. “We used running to bring all of these different personalities together to create one big family.”
Favorite running routes: “My favorite place to run is outside my front door, in Greater Grand Crossing. We want to be in the community and have people see us running. I also like the Dan Ryan Woods, at 87th and Western, where there are always family reunions and picnics happening.”
LUCY NEGRETE Venados Running Club
As a child in the South Side neighborhood of Pilsen, Lucy was a strong swimmer. She ran in the off-season and on the high school track team. Then, she left the sport for 20 years to raise three daughters. She’d just re-started a fitness routine when a friend invited her to Venados. At first, she felt intimidated. The friend asked again, and again, so Lucy took a chance and showed up. There, she found many childhood friends she’d lost touch with. “Seeing them felt like being reconnected with my family,” she says.
Still, returning after so long wasn’t easy; she struggled with comparisons to her past self. Her daughters encouraged her, and her middle, Ruby, went along to keep her accountable. Over time, Lucy’s confidence grew.
Three years later, Lucy watched Ruby run her first Bank of America Chicago Marathon. “I obsessed over helping meet her goals; sharing her journey really filled me,” Lucy says. She’d never planned to go farther than a half marathon, but next the spring, mother and daughter ran the Illinois Marathon in Champaign-Urbana, together.
Now, Ruby is 24 and a captain for Venados, and Lucy will run her 11th marathon—and fifth Chicago Marathon—this fall. It’s never too late to lace up, again or for the first time, she believes. “I always think I didn’t start as young as I’d have liked to,” she says. “But I’ve learned to embrace where I am.”
Favorite running routes: “Our shorter distance runs with Venados go to Chinatown and back. The five-mile route goes all the way to Soldier Field, on the lake. I love running on the lakefront.”
JAKE SPITZ 3RUN2
At first, running brought Jake—in his mid 20s when he started—a new chance to grow and excel. Few things in adult life compare to stepping up to a start line, he says.
During the lockdown days of the pandemic, Jake harnessed the power running brought him to make big, important changes. “I’ve been sober for nearly two years,” he says. “Running has been a constant in keeping me focused on that goal.”
As he’s moved through different neighborhoods in the city—Lakeview, Humboldt Park, and now Portage Park—Jake’s found his way, on foot. He’s also made friends, including those in the running crew 3RUN2. At this point, Jake’s been with them two years; they’re like family.
Jake has a lot of love for his hometown course— this will be his seventh Bank of America Chicago Marathon. But his proudest running moment came last year, when he went to run the Indianapolis Marathon four weeks afterward. He’d just lost a close friend to a car collision; he let his emotions out on the road and beat his best time by more than five minutes.
“It’s just running, and there’s probably another run tomorrow, and the day after,” he says. “But you never know what’s going to happen. It’s about making each of those moments matter.”
Favorite running routes: “The lakefront is one of the most iconic places to run, in any city. But I do a lot of workouts around Horner Park. It’s about a mile loop, so it’s easy to get in tempos and fartlek runs.”
