Running Tour of West Loop Women

In honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, join Read & Run Chicago guide Fernanda for a four-mile guided running tour (11:00 min/mile pace) through the West Loop. We’ll explore the neighborhood through stories of the women who helped shape its history, inspired by Connie Fairbanks’s Chicago’s West Loop Then and Now.

Expect movement, storytelling, and lots of great conversation with fellow readers & runners. Snacks and drinks provided!

No prior reading required, but if you'd like to learn more, purchase Chicago's West Loop Then and Now at Madison Street Books after the route.

INCLEMENT WEATHER PLAN: If it becomes unsafe to run outside, we will hold a modified version of the event indoors starting at the same time, 9:00am. You will be notified via email no later than 8am on Saturday, March 7 if there are any changes to the event.

DOORS OPEN: Doors open at Madison Street Books (1127 W Madison). Check in, make a name tag, purchase merch, and mingle with other readers & runners.

ROUTE: The four-mile route (11:00-12:00 min/mile) features stops at various West Loop historical sites to learn about the women that shaped the neighborhood.

All ticket holders will receive reminder emails and details 2 days and 4 hours prior to the event.

is a community organization managed under Read & Run Tours. Founded in 2021, the mission is simple: to use movement and stories to explore Chicago. Programming includes free community meetups like book swaps and reading nights, plus what the organization is most known for: book-themed guided runs where stories take place, all inspired by books set in Chicago, mostly written by local authors. Read & Run Chicago’s ultimate goal is to help Chicagoans better connect with themselves, each other, and the physical spaces they call home. Along the way, Read & Run Chicago champions literacy initiatives, local nonprofits, public libraries, independent bookstores, and the writers who bring Chicago’s communities to life. They’ve hosted over 120 events featuring 30+ authors and local experts and have been highlighted by CNN, Runner’s World, Midwest Living, NBC’s Chicago Today, FOX32 Good Day Chicago, WGN Radio, Block Club Chicago, and more. More information at readandrunchicago.com, Instagram, and Facebook.

Fernanda Wetzel: Fernanda is from Ecuador and has lived in the U.S. for 24 years. She works in the world of education, starting as a teacher and now as a curriculum designer. She loves to run, bake, read and do artsy things. With her family, she loves to travel, watch movies and play games.

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