More than 360 Chicagoans from the West and South sides ran three miles along 103rd Street to exercise and reimagine what the corridor could become.
Runners gathered at Corliss Early College STEM High School in Pullman for the inaugural 103rd Street 5K Peace Walk/Run. The event ended at Percy L. Julian High School with a vendor fair and community conversation about how vacant lots could be transformed into businesses and community centers.
In April, the Chicago Transit Authority broke ground on the Red Line Extension Project, which includes a station planned for 103rd Street. Community organizations are now working to revitalize the corridor from Cottage Grove Avenue to Vincennes Avenue in anticipation of increased traffic and investment in the neighborhood.
In an effort to bridge communities across the city, West Side runners from Peace Runners 773 run club joined South Side residents to imagine new possibilities for the 103rd Street corridor — from restaurants and gyms to community centers.
“I didn’t run past one grocery store within three miles, and it’s the same thing on the West Side,” said Jackie Hoffman, founder and executive director of the Peace Runners.
Hoffman started the run club to address Chicago’s death gap on the West Side.
“It’s a lot of West Siders that have never been to the South Side until today, and a lot of South Siders that will be coming to the West Side, ” Hoffman said. “As we keep uniting throughout the city, we create these really big movements that reclaim our spaces, and get the things that we need for our communities.”
Hoffman co-organized the event with South Side community organizers Miranda Strandberry and LoLita Canady to highlight the shared impact of disinvestment in historically divided communities.
“Along this corridor are six schools, multiple businesses, but you can see visible disinvestment between two affluent neighborhoods, Beverly to the west and Pullman to the east,” Strandberry said. “This corridor can use a little bit more love.”
Organizers welcomed representatives from the Chicago Transit Authority to get direct feedback from community members about the project.
Tammy Chase, a spokesperson for the Red Line Extension Project, said the city is trying to correct decades of inequitable transit access that contributed to longer commutes for South Side residents.
“We keep hearing from constituents who want grocery stores, and they want barber shops and things that others of us around the city take for granted,” Chase said. “We’re working with the City of Chicago to do transit-oriented development that makes sure that we help bring in the businesses that people want and do it in an affordable and sustainable way that doesn’t displace people who have lived here forever.”
Shequira Hall has lived in neighborhoods on both the South and West sides of Chicago. Though she doesn’t consider herself a runner, she said participants helped pace and encourage her through the 5K.
“There were people who were out here handing us waters and Gatorades, and people were driving down the street, honking their horns, and very supportive,” she said. “But I do feel like we need more businesses on the South Side, and down 103rd street, in particular.”
Pullman resident Mary Zehnder was born and raised on Chicago’s South Side.
“I was surprised at how much support was along the way,” Zehnder said. “We’re going down the street and people are honking their horns and waving. That’s how communities become really alive.”
West Side resident Therese Franklin said she had only ever driven along 103rd Street before the race. Running the corridor drew her attention to beauty shops and neighborhood stores along the route.
“There are a lot of small businesses that need community support to stay in business,” Franklin said. “Getting out here and seeing them makes me want to come back and actually support those businesses.”
The event was supported by organizations including Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Roosmoor Community Association. Public officials, including State Rep. Justin Slaughter and Democratic nominee Shantel Franklin, also attended.
Participants ranged in age from toddlers in strollers to older adults, leaving the event with gold medals to celebrate both their run and their commitment to the community.