Vote for Us for the 2025 ‘Best of Chicago’ Awards!
Readers & runners on the rooftop at The Salt Shed in November 2025.
by Allison Yates
We’ve got exciting news (and a small ask)! We’re nearing the end of the year, so that means it’s time for The Chicago Reader’s annual Best of Chicago Awards.
Read & Run Chicago was nominated for both Best Tour (City Life) and Best Running Club (Sports & Fitness).
Why do these awards matter? Because these nominations aren’t about ego—they’re about visibility. If Read & Run Chicago wins this award, the visibility will help us reach new readers & runners, authors, and supporters who might not know that Chicago’s streets hold stories waiting to be run through. These supporters and future fans will help us continue to bring our love of stories and movement—and local businesses—to neighborhoods across the city.
Last year alone, we:
👟 Ran 99.8 miles,
📍In 24 different Chicago neighborhoods and two Chicagoland suburbs,
📚 Inspired by 30 books set in Chicago,
✍🏽 Met 33 different authors and speakers, and
💸 Raised over $1,000 for local causes we care about.
Ready to help us continue our work?
Readers & runners in Avalon Park with authors Monica Eng and David Hammond at our Fun Run inspired by their book, Made in Chicago.
📝 How You Can Help (It’s Super Simple)
Go to the Voting Page: You can find it via the Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago voting portal: Chicago Reader
Vote for “Read & Run Chicago” under:
Best Tour (City Life)
Best Running Club (Sports & Fitness)
Share with your friends, book club, running communities, other Chicago organizations—folks who love what we do and might vote too. The more the votes, the better chance we have to win!
Guide Courtney Ruhland interviews journalist Elly Fishman in November 2025 about her book, Refugee High. We host meaningful and intimate author Q&As that enhance readers’ & runners’ connection to the city and raise awareness for communities and causes we care about.
📣 What You’re Supporting
More community programming: When we get more attention, we can grow our events—and support more local authors, bookstores, and small businesses.
Greater collaboration: Potential partners (venues, sponsors, authors) often look at local recognition when choosing who to work with.
Increased awareness: There are so many Chicagoans we’d love to welcome into our community—and we’re always looking for ways to spread the word about what we do and why
Thank you for being part of this journey. If you love running through stories, supporting local authors, and connecting with the complexities of our beautiful and complicated city. Your nomination would mean the world to us! Let’s get Read & Run Chicago on that ballot—and maybe even to the winner’s list.