Hitting the Streets

David Wick literally ran up and down every street of Oak Park to gain a new appreciation for his beloved hometown.

David Wick is a longtime Oak Park resident and an avid runner who started a group on Facebook for runners called Hitting the Streets. (Photo courtesy David Wick)

During my 50+ years of being a resident of Oak Park I have seen the evolution of this great town. There have been so many changes over the years that have really transformed our village. And yet there are many things that have stayed the same. I wanted to capture all of what is Oak Park is about, but needed a meaningful way to do so. Then I realized that the best way to actually see Oak Park is to literally go up and down every street. And, I had the perfect way to do this – running. So, by blending my curiosity of Oak Park along with my hobby I set out to run on every street in our town and see the many facets that are present.

This trek began while doing routine runs of 3-6 miles down established paths. While running the perimeter of Oak Park in preparation for the Chicago Marathon I realized that it would be incredible to be able to run on every block in the town – all the while observing the many characteristics that each block has. To simply run on all of the streets does not do justice to what the true meaning of the challenge is – to see the beauty and uniqueness of Oak Park.  

So, I went to Village Hall and was able to get a large map of the town so I could plot my course to success. After highlighting the streets that I have already run I started to map out different routes to take. One of the challenges is to not duplicate paths. Not that there is anything wrong with running down the same street twice. But, to conserve time (and energy) it was best for me to only go down each street once (if possible). I split the town into sections by first concentrating primarily on north and south streets, then heading east and west throughout Oak Park. If the street had a sign then I ran it. I live on the far north end of the village, so getting everything south of the expressway was a challenge, until I figured out an obvious solution – I simply drove or took my bike down there.

All the time I was running I was looking up and all around. I have seen some amazing homes along our streets. The architecture is second to none in Oak Park. The diversity that exists with our homes is astounding. The care that people take to maintain these beautiful homes is evident on every block. And, the people themselves are so friendly. I received countless greetings from my fellow residents on every run. Then there are the numerous businesses that blanket the village. There are so many wonderful storefronts with a vast array of offerings. And how about the parks? I admit that I am on the Park Board. But, running by and through each park provided an even better perspective of how fortunate we are to have these beloved getaway spots.

I concluded all of the 103 miles of streets on a cool September morning in 2014 by finishing right at Lake St. and Oak Park Ave. I could not think of a better place to conclude this feat then the “center’ of our town. *Along the way I saw: 23,723 different housing units, 24 different parks and recreation areas, 28 historical landmarks, 18 public and private schools, 90 different public and private streets and 58 places of worship.   

There are two things that motivated me through to finish my runs. The first was my mom’s passing in July. She was always interested to know what I had seen on each run, and always encouraged me to keep going. Secondly, I ran the 2014 Chicago Marathon,and did so on behalf of Hephzibah Children’s Home. So, I am represented one of Oak Park’s most well-respected charitable organizations. It just seemed right to complete my training on the streets of Oak Park.

My brother suggested to me to start a group on Facebook for people who have run their own town, as well as other cities. I like this idea, so I created the group Hitting The Streets – where people can join and talk about their adventure. Hopefully, I can get others from Oak Park to join as well. All are welcome to join and share your experiences!

If you ever get a chance, try to run the town. Or maybe walk it, or bike it. Just get out there and see what Oak Park is really like. You will be blown away by the many awesome characteristics that we have in our village. I have a much better appreciation for who we are and why we are so unique. Oak Park is a destination point for many, and is known worldwide. There is a reason for that besides Frank Lloyd Wright and other historical landmarks. It is a one-of-a-kind town with truly amazing people and culture. If you don’t believe me then put your running shoes on and I will show you!

*Statistics obtained from the VOP web site and David Powers, Communications Director for the Village of Oak Park