Memberships for Summer 2025 are LIVE!
Purchase today for our May-July Membership! Why? Members get an automatic reserved spot at every event, special members-only meetups, and other possible perks like books and goodie bags. Become a Read & Run Chicago all-access member and not only save $175 (50% off all standard ticket prices), but be part of a special cohort for Chicago readers & runners.
Weekly MOVE + BOOK SWAP
Join our weekly Monday night informal meetup, MOVE + BOOK SWAP!
Independent Bookstore Day Run Crawls
Join one of our five Independent Bookstore Day Crawls across Chicago to support indie bookstores, get some miles, and celebrate Chicago’s small businesses!
Weekly MOVE + BOOK SWAP
Join our weekly Monday night informal meetup, MOVE + BOOK SWAP!
Weekly MOVE + BOOK SWAP
Join our weekly Monday night informal meetup, MOVE + BOOK SWAP!
Running/Walking Tour of the Haymarket Riots with author Joseph Rulli
Run a 3-mile route (or walk a 1-mile route) with author Joseph Rulli to commemorate the 139th anniversary of the Haymarket Affair, which later became a symbol of the international struggle for workers' rights.
Photo credit: Chicago History Museum; ICHi-040013; Jay Crawford, photographer
Weekly MOVE + BOOK SWAP
Join our weekly Monday night informal meetup, MOVE + BOOK SWAP!
Chinatown Fun Run with author Kara Eng
Run a 3-mile literary-inspired route with author Kara Eng, visiting several Chinatown locations featured in her books!
Weekly MOVE + BOOK SWAP
Join our weekly Monday night informal meetup, MOVE + BOOK SWAP!
The Gayborhood: A Literary Fun Run with author David Jay Collins
Run a 3.5-mile literary-inspired route with author David Jay Collins, visiting several Boystown locations featured in his novel, Gaybash!
Weekly MOVE + BOOK SWAP
Join our weekly Monday night informal meetup, MOVE + BOOK SWAP!
Book Club Run of Last Summer on State Street
Join Read & Run Chicago and Black Girls Read Book Club for a 5-mile Book Club Run in Bronzeville inspired by Toya Wolfe’s Last Summer on State Street.
A Night at the Queer Archives
Join Read & Run Chicago and Gerber/Hart for an evening exploring the largest LGBTQ archives in the Midwest!
Book Club Run of Cold Girls with author Maxine Rae
Run a 3-mile route in Evanston inspired by Maxine Rae’s queer young adult novel, Cold Girls, followed by an in-person Q&A with the author.
Running Tour of We Are The Culture with author Arionne Nettles
Join Read & Run Chicago and Black Girls Read Book Club for a 5-mile, point-to-point route inspired by Arionne Nettle’s We Are the Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything followed by a meet-and-greet with the author.
Running Tour of 1950s Lesbian Pulp Fiction with Gerber/Hart Library and Archives
Join Read & Run Chicago and Gerber/Hart for an easy-paced 4-mile running tour exploring Valerie Taylor’s groundbreaking 1950s lesbian pulp fiction novel The Girls in 3-B and post-run lecture at Vuori.
Book Club Run of The Most Fun We Ever Had with Claire Lombardo
Run a 3-mile route in historic and charming Oak Park inspired by Claire Lombardo’s novel, The Most Fun We Ever Had, followed by a virtual Q&A with the author.
Running Tour of Jane, Chicago’s Revolutionary Abortion Counseling Service
A 4-Mile Running Tour in Hyde Park followed by a panel with reproductive rights activists.
Cover photo credit: AP
Running Tour of A Few Red Drops with Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project
Join Read & Run Chicago and CRR19 for a 5-mile running tour in Bronzeville to commemorate the 1919 Chicago Race Riots.
Postcard Writing Party at Foursided
Join founder Allison Yates for a casual social evening of postcard writing and supporting a local, LGBTQ-owned business.
Weekly MOVE + BOOK SWAP
Join our weekly Monday night informal meetup, MOVE + BOOK SWAP!
Season End Celebration: Historic Chicago Bakeries Fun Run
Celebrate the end of Read & Run Chicago's Winter 2025 season with another SWEET fun run! Starting at Arc'Teryx Bucktown, we'll run a 4-mile route along the Bloomingdale Trail (606) to Roeser's Bakery and back, ending with some treats back at Arc'Teryx.
RSVP Required: RSVP Here.
Running Tour of West Loop Women for International Women's Day
Join Read & Run Chicago Programs Manager Fernanda Wetzel for a 4-mile, easy-paced (11:00 min/mile) guided running tour focused on women in West Loop's history in honor of International Women's Day and Women's History Month. The route and content are inspired by Connie Fairbanks's Chicago's West Loop Then and Now. After the route, enjoy social time with snacks and drinks.
Book Club Run of Bff: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found
Join Read & Run Chicago founder Allison Yates and Heyday Homes founder Meg Daday for a 5-mile, easy-paced (11:00 min/mile) guided running route inspired by Christie Tate's memoir, Bff: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found. After the route, we'll have an intimate author Q&A with Christie Tate, plus snacks, drinks, and a raffle.
Running Tour of Japanese-American History on Chicago's Near North Side
Run a 4-mile route inspired by the young adult novel Clark and Division, followed by a panel with Japanese-Americans resettled in Chicago.
Historic Chicago Bakeries Fun Run: Little Italy
Join Read & Run Chicago's Programs Manager Fernanda Wetzel for our sweetest run. This easy-paced (11:00 min/mile), 4-mile Fun Run through Little Italy inspired by Jennifer Billock’s Historic Chicago Bakeries includes samples from three bakeries, brief Little Italy neighborhood history, and outdoor movement when we need it most (winter!).
Book Club Run of Becoming
Join Read & Run Chicago Programs Manager Fernanda Wetzel for a ~4-mile guided route through Hyde Park, stopping at various locations that shaped Michelle Obama’s trajectory from a South Shore student to a lawyer in the Loop and eventually, FLOTUS! After the run, join us for a book club discussion, snacks and drinks.
Running Tour of The Chicago Taxi Wars of the 1920s with Anne Morrissy
Join Read & Run Chicago and Street Fight author Anne Morrisy for a 5-mile running route inspired by her gripping account of the 1920s Chicago taxi wars.
Book Club Run of The Great Believers
Join Read & Run Chicago, Gerber/Hart Library & Archives, and Betsy Tomszak of Books with Betsy for a 3-mile running route inspired by Rebecca Makkai's award-winning novel, The Great Believers.
Read & Run Chicago 2024 End-of-Year Party
Join us to celebrate all the miles we ran and books we read in 2024! RSVP required — RSVP here.
Book Club Run of The Beauty of Your Face
A 4-mile guided run in Bridgeview inspired by Sahar Mustafah's novel followed by an in-person Q&A with the author.
Running Tour of The 1968 Democratic National Convention Protests
A 3-mile guided running tour in the Loop about the 1968 DNC and the infamous trial of the “Chicago 7.”
Book Club Run of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter with Erika L. Sanchez
A 3-mile run in Cicero inspired by I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter followed by a Q&A with the author.
Book Club Run of Summerdale and Summerdale II with David Jay Collins
Join us for a spooky, season-appropriate run into the chilling world of Summerdale and Summerdale II with author David Jay Collins!
Running Tour of Running While Black
An easy-paced (11:00 min/mile) guided running tour inspired by Alison Mariella Désir's memoir, Running While Black.
Running Tour of The Stockyards
A 4-mile, easy-paced running tour all about the history of Chicago's infamous Union Stockyards.
Historic Chicago Bakeries Fun Run: Pilsen/Little Village
Join Read & Run Chicago for a 6-mile fun run between Pilsen and Little Village to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month!
Strength in the City Festival
Join Read & Run Chicago founder Allison Yates at a free community run at this year's Strength in the City Festival.
Running Tour of The Jane Collective
A 4-Mile Running Tour in Hyde Park followed by a panel with reproductive rights activists past and present. Cover photo credit: AP
Printer's Row Lit Fest
Visit our table at Printer's Row Lit Fest, the Midwest's largest literary festival. FREE and open to the public!
Running Tour of A Few Red Drops with Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project
Join Read & Run Chicago and CRR19 for a 5-mile running tour in Bronzeville to commemorate the 1919 Chicago Race Riots. Register here.
Book Club Run of Last Summer on State Street with Toya Wolfe
Join Read & Run Chicago and Black Girls Read Book Club for a 5-mile Book Club Run + Author Q&A with Toya Wolfe. Register here.
Running Tour of The Girls in 3-B and Lecture with Gerber/Hart Library and Archives
Join Read & Run Chicago and Gerber/Hart for an easy-paced 3-mile running tour and post-run lecture at Vuori.
Book Club Run of Hello Beautiful with Ann Napolitano (Virtual)
Read & Run Chicago for an easy-paced, 4-5 mile run in Pilsen and virtual Q&A with author Ann Napolitano!
Book Club Run of Becoming Three Girls from Bronzeville with Dawn Turner
Read & Run Chicago for an easy-paced, 3-mile run in Bronzeville and Q&A with author Dawn Turner!
Book Club Run of Gaybash with David Jay Collins
An easy-paced 3-mile route inspired by David Jay Collins’s Gaybash, followed by an in-person author Q&A at Elevate.
Book Club Run of Becoming
Join Read & Run Chicago on this special Book Club Run of Becoming to help On Running celebrate the launch of the new Cloudmonster Hyper!
Running Tour of The Mystery at Black Partridge Woods with Pat Camalliere
Join Read & Run Chicago and Lemont Downtown for the second run in our series inspired by local author Pat Camalliere’s Cora Tozzi Historical Mystery Series.