Why Betsy Mikel Runs for the Parks
Our runners make it happen! Meet Team ChiParks in our ongoing ‘Why I Run for the Parks’ blog series highlighting members of our 2024 charity team.
The Chicago Parks Foundation has been a proud Bank of America Chicago Marathon charity partner since 2013, as well as the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle and the Bank of America Chicago 13.1.
These dedicated runners choose to make their miles extra meaningful by running on behalf of a charity. Since our start, Team ChiParks and their supporters have raised over $1.5 million for the parks - vital park projects, community programming, our citywide volunteer efforts, and more. This is the Chicago Parks Foundation’s largest annual fundraiser!
“Chicago was my first marathon, and two decades later it had to be my 10th!”
2004 Chicago Marathon | This ancient photo was taken on a camera twenty years ago when I ran my first Chicago Marathon at age 18.
Meet Betsy Mikel, running with Team ChiParks this year to mark her 10th overall marathon!
WHICH MARATHONS HAVE YOU COMPLETED?
This will be my 10th marathon. I ran my first Chicago Marathon in 2004 when I was 18. I had run on my high school’s track and cross-country teams, so I decided running 26.2 miles was the natural next step.
In the twenty years since, I’ve run several marathons across the country (St. Louis, Twin Cities, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City), but Chicago will always be my favorite because it’s my hometown race.
WHAT DOES RUNNING THE 2024 BANK OF AMERICA CHICAGO MARATHON MEAN TO YOU?
I joke that this is my Michael Jordan comeback. I had a really bad Chicago Marathon in ‘21. It was so hot and humid that day that they elevated the condition level to dangerous in the middle of the race. I just about crawled across the finish line around the 6-hour mark.
After that, I stopped running entirely for a couple years. I took time off as my body completed a marathon of a different sort. The day after the 2022 Chicago Marathon, I gave birth to my first child. Easing my way back into running after having a baby sort of feels like re-learning to ride a bike.
For my first marathon back, Chicago had to be it. I love the energy along the course from spectators and fellow runners alike. You don’t even need to run with earbuds because there’s so much to experience along the way.
Chicago was my first marathon, and two decades later it had to be my 10th!
WHY ARE YOU RUNNING ON BEHALF OF TEAM CHIPARKS?
To commemorate my 10th marathon, I wanted to support an organization that’s been part of my running journey the entire time.
Not only is Chicago’s incredible parks system one of the oldest and largest in the nation, but I use them daily. Just by being a Chicago resident, I get unlimited access to 8,500+ acres of public green space. It’s an amazing free gift that I get to use every single day.
By raising money for Team ChiParks, I want to help support and conserve Chicago’s 600+ parks and play spaces. I’ve benefited so much from them and I want everyone else to be able to, too!
“To commemorate my 10th marathon, I wanted to support an organization that’s been part of my running journey the entire time.”
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT CHICAGO’S PARKS?
The parks are for everybody. Anyone can use them. I run and commute frequently on the 606, aka Bloomingdale Trail Park (Park No. 572). It’s an old railroad embankment that was turned into a recreational trail and park system. Set above city streets, it’s a unique way to explore Chicago on a trail that invites biking, running and strolling.
Every time I’m out on the 606, I see such a variety of Chicagoans enjoying the trail — rollerbladers, bikers, strollers, runners, walkers, scooters, you really see everything and every age on there. I love that the parks encourage people to get outside and that they are free and accessible to all.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT TRAINING FOR THE CHICAGO MARATHON?
My favorite part (and sometimes least favorite part!) about training season is the long weekend runs because so many other runners are out there doing theirs.
Especially on the Lakefront Path, you see so many other solo runners and groups logging those weekend miles. I’ve done enough marathons that I know a handful of those long runs are always going to be really rough for whatever reason. If I’m having a tough training run, I always feel buoyed by the other runners out there working towards the same goal.
Betsy with 3RUN2 | I joined the running group 3RUN2 last year and have been working on increasing my mileage and endurance thanks to my new running crew buddies. Photo credit: THREE RUN TWO® / 3RUN2®
OTHER THAN RUNNING, WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?
Spending time with my 16-month-old son being silly, reading, writing, and cooking. I’m always checking out new cookbooks from the Chicago Public Library and looking for new recipes to try.
I think there’s a myth that running is an egalitarian sport because “all you need is a pair of running shoes.”I don’t think enough people acknowledge how much it takes beyond one person to endure the months of marathon training. I am super privileged to have a co-parent who will be with our son during my long runs, enough financial security to buy nutritious food and good running gear, and the support and safety of a really awesome running group 3RUN2 whose leaders organize countless runs all year long.
