Meet Our Guides

Our guides are book-loving runners with a passion for using movement and stories to explore Chicago.

They create a running route inspired by a story (novels, nonfiction, poetry, and more), stop at real-life locations, and help readers and runners connect the location to the overall theme and message. Depending on the event, guides may also use archival research, interviews from experts, or their personal experiences to help bring the book to life.

The Read & Run Chicago Guides & Facilitators

  • Allison Yates

    Allison Yates (she/her)

    FOUNDER

    Allison spends her free time traveling, freelance writing, running, reading, and jumping in Lake Michigan (when it's not freezing!), among other hobbies. Read more about her story.

  • Fernanda Wetzel

    Fernanda Wetzel (she/her)

    MANAGER

    Fernanda is an educator, baker, and runner who loves to read, cook, get crafty, and explore new places with her family and friends. She’s originally from Ecuador and has lived in Chicago for 22 years.

  • Chris Smith

    Chris Smith (he/him)

    Chris is the founder of The L.Y.D. Foundation. Through youth mentoring, financial literacy, college scholarships, fresh food initiatives, and much more, Chris and L.Y.D. aim to serve underserved communities in as many ways as possible.

  • Cynthia Okechukwu

    Cynthia Okechukwu (she/her)

    Cynthia is the founder and organizer of Black Girls Read Book Club. A lawyer by day, history buff, and Uptown transplant, Cynthia enjoys reading and learning more about this city that she has called home for nearly a decade.

  • John Foley

    John Foley (he/him)

    John is a 16-year CPS teacher who has written and taught curriculums focused on the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and Chicago. He volunteers at Open Books, is part of numerous book clubs, and juggles reading at least five books at any given time.

  • Quinn Sluzenski

    Quinn Sluzenski (she/they)

    Quinn is the digital initiatives assistant at the Newberry Library and a member of the Engagement & Expressions Committee at Gerber/Hart Library and Archives. They are currently pursuing a MS in Library and Information Science at UIUC. When she's not reading, running, or library-ing, she's playing with her cats or watching musicals.

  • Magaly Acosta

    Magaly Acosta (she/her)

    Magaly is a former teacher and current Spanish Bilingual psychotherapist. She is passionate about mental health with a focus on the BIPOC community. In her free time, she enjoys running, volunteering for nonprofit organizations, attending street festivals, and visiting family in Mexico.

  • Cindy Kuzma

    Cindy Kuzma (she/her)

    Cindy is a freelance writer, author, and podcaster in Chicago. She writes frequently about running for Runner’s World and other outlets, has co-authored two books, and co-hosts the Injured Athletes Club podcast. She has also completed 23 marathons, including four in Chicago.

  • Carla Benton

    Carla Benton (she/her)

    Carla is a Chicago-based runner and book editor. Though she serves as a copy editor and proofreader across all genres, she has contributed to several recent running titles, including those by Peter Sagal, Becky Wade, and Ed Caesar.

  • Kaylee Tock (she/her)

    Kaylee has been reading daily since her first solo book, The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree (age 5); she avoided running at all costs until she saw someone wearing a Rosehill Cemetery Crypt 5k shirt and decided that was a great reason to run (age 29). After a stint at a record label and years with a boutique fashion designer, she finally put her math skills to good use working as an accountant for nonprofits. Her ideal morning is an early run, followed by coffee, a book, and a cat.