Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood to host first annual 5k this November
The Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s south side will be hosting its first 5K in November. The event, called Ditch the Weight and Guns 5K Walk and Run organized by Andrea Natay. She hopes that the event will draw nearly 1000 participants.
The Ditch the Weight & Guns 5K Walk & Run, which is scheduled for Nov. 2, and will take runners through South Side streets that are a world away, both literally and figuratively, from the neighborhoods that saw tens of thousands runners during the Chicago Marathon over the weekend.
The idea for what organizers hope will become an annual event “to promote nutrition, fitness and nonviolence” came from Andrea Natay, owner of Forever Fitness Chicago.
“Englewood [is] a place more known for violence than fitness,” said Natay, a 34-year-old personal trainer and nutritionist from Bronzeville.
A portion of the proceeds from the race will be donated to the nonprofit Forever Moving Forward, which seeks to empower girls ages 7-18, and also to the athletic department at William Harper High School in Englewood, from which Natay graduated in 1998.
“I know the school could use some help purchasing sporting equipment and uniforms for the students,” said Natay.
Natay said her city permit allows up to 900 people to take part in the event. She expects most to be Englewood residents, fitness trainers and even those affected by crime in the city.
Would you participate in this 5K?
What other ways can residents shine a positive light on city neighborhoods known for violence?
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