A New Place to Train with Nike Club RunCHI
Everyone can agree that Chicago is a runner's dream city. Yeah, we have the Lakefront path and DePaul University. Sure, we've got the Magnificent Mile and countless amazing trails and parks. However, who can claim to run through the culturally-rich melting pot that is Little Italy? Nike has partnered with Starbucks Coffee to host a weekly training run from the second oldest Starbucks shop in Chicago at 1430 W. Taylor St., Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM. Not only can participants benefit from a great workout with coaches, pacers, and cross-training, but the Starbucks community has gone out of its way to welcome and wrangle in runners. Little Italy is renowned for its good food and great personality, and the Midwest is acclaimed for its genuine hospitality and enthusiasm. The Starbucks Nike Human Race training runs are the happy marriage of both!
Although we started out small, it was a concentrated group of passionate runners. Each week, local residents and students of Little Italy and the nearby University of Illinois at Chicago come together, growing our little run into a bona fide event.
At each training session, runners can:
As participants depart for their run, they are all guided by Nike's Pace Leaders, a group of runners designed to help runners stay motivated, focused safe and on-time. Nike's Pace Leaders personalize their routes and speeds to those of their running groups, from a 7-minute per mile pace all the way to a run-walk workout. After learning about the best training tips and tools from coaches, as well as information on the Human Race and trialing Nike footwear and Nike+ products, participants get stretched and loosened up by their Pace Leaders and pumped up to run.
Departing toward UIC down the quaint Taylor St., we warm up by neighborhood restaurants and bars, their patrons cheering runners on. Through the quiet and tree-lined streets, runners experience a little slice of Chicago rarely seen by the shopping-crazed tourists or Lakefront-numbed regulars. We pass through neighborhoods with children's chalk drawings lining the sidewalk. Next, we check out the looming and impressive medical campus of the University, and finally we sprint down Taylor St., luscious scents of Pad Thai and Gyros mingling with classic Italian beef and lemon-ice.
After our most recent run, raucous laughter grows as pacers and participants exchange their best training stories. After their 3 or 5 mile runs, everyone stretches around the courtyard fountain, snacking on bananas, slabs of coffee cake, and huge cookies, all a la Starbucks.
If this sounds like your cup of coffee (or slice of deep-dish pizza), join us Wednesdays on Taylor St.! If you can't make Wednesdays, check out the rest of Nike's training runs, kicking off all around Chicago:
Monday @ 6:30PM: Fleet Feet Sports, Piper's Alley
Tuesday@ 6:30PM: Running Away Multisport, Bucktown/Wicker Park
Wednesday @ 6:30PM: Starbucks, Taylor St. Little Italy
Thursday @ 6:30PM: NIKETOWN, Magnificent Mile
Saturday @ 7:00AM: Foster Ave. Beach House
Lace up those shoes and grab your water bottles, summer time's here. We'll see you out there, and keep on runnin', Chicago!
Although we started out small, it was a concentrated group of passionate runners. Each week, local residents and students of Little Italy and the nearby University of Illinois at Chicago come together, growing our little run into a bona fide event.
At each training session, runners can:
- Trial Nike's latest running footwear and the new Nike + SportBand
- Learn the best running tips and training tools from Nike's personal coaches,
- Sign up for the Nike Plus Human Race
- Win great raffle prizes
As participants depart for their run, they are all guided by Nike's Pace Leaders, a group of runners designed to help runners stay motivated, focused safe and on-time. Nike's Pace Leaders personalize their routes and speeds to those of their running groups, from a 7-minute per mile pace all the way to a run-walk workout. After learning about the best training tips and tools from coaches, as well as information on the Human Race and trialing Nike footwear and Nike+ products, participants get stretched and loosened up by their Pace Leaders and pumped up to run.
Departing toward UIC down the quaint Taylor St., we warm up by neighborhood restaurants and bars, their patrons cheering runners on. Through the quiet and tree-lined streets, runners experience a little slice of Chicago rarely seen by the shopping-crazed tourists or Lakefront-numbed regulars. We pass through neighborhoods with children's chalk drawings lining the sidewalk. Next, we check out the looming and impressive medical campus of the University, and finally we sprint down Taylor St., luscious scents of Pad Thai and Gyros mingling with classic Italian beef and lemon-ice.
After our most recent run, raucous laughter grows as pacers and participants exchange their best training stories. After their 3 or 5 mile runs, everyone stretches around the courtyard fountain, snacking on bananas, slabs of coffee cake, and huge cookies, all a la Starbucks.
If this sounds like your cup of coffee (or slice of deep-dish pizza), join us Wednesdays on Taylor St.! If you can't make Wednesdays, check out the rest of Nike's training runs, kicking off all around Chicago:
Monday @ 6:30PM: Fleet Feet Sports, Piper's Alley
Tuesday@ 6:30PM: Running Away Multisport, Bucktown/Wicker Park
Wednesday @ 6:30PM: Starbucks, Taylor St. Little Italy
Thursday @ 6:30PM: NIKETOWN, Magnificent Mile
Saturday @ 7:00AM: Foster Ave. Beach House
Lace up those shoes and grab your water bottles, summer time's here. We'll see you out there, and keep on runnin', Chicago!
