Peace Runners 773, a nonprofit fitness group on Chicago’s West Side, has opened its first dedicated studio and wellness center in Garfield Park. The organization launched the Wellness Headquarters last month at 3563 W. Fifth Ave., aiming to provide nutrition workshops and health programs for both young people and older adults.
Since its founding in 2020, Peace Runners 773 has offered races, weekly runs and walks, as well as programs focused on youth and seniors. With the new studio, co-founder Jackie Hoffman said the group can now host nutrition classes, mental health workshops, and specialized training for both age groups.
“If you took away the ‘run’ from Peace Runners, we’ll still be an asset to the community. From the mentorship, nutrition, mental health workshops — those pieces and elements of what we do are a community need,” Hoffman said. “If we’re talking about holistic health and wellness, closing the life expectancy gap from a community-led approach, we have everything we need as a people to be able to make sure of that.”
In 2023 alone, Peace Runners members logged over 75,000 miles through regular running events across West Side neighborhoods. More than 1,500 runners participated in local 5K races; about 200 finished half-marathons; and 51 completed the Chicago Marathon.
The organization specifically targets youth and older adults with its programming. The Young At Heart initiative serves residents aged 55 and up with walks and fitness classes at the new headquarters. Youth activities include a run club, yoga sessions, nutrition education, and strength training.
“I want my young people to see the space and hear about the disparities. I want them to be educated about the life expectancy gap,” Hoffman said. “If we don’t change [the disparities], they are going to be the ones that spark that change.”
Hoffman grew up in Garfield Park before playing college football at Bethune Cookman University in Florida and pursuing law enforcement work in Chicago. His mother’s health struggles in 2020—including cardiovascular disease—led him to encourage her daily exercise. Her subsequent weight loss inspired him to start Peace Runners with his wife Tiffany Hoffman and friend Major Clay.
Their first organized event—a small 5K race—had just 19 participants in its inaugural year but grew significantly by last year.
Hoffman explained that running brings both peace of mind and a sense of safety: “You create this space that’s inviting for people to come outside their doors to actually say ‘Yes, I’m from the community.… I don’t feel afraid about what the news says about the West Side,’” he said.
Regular Saturday runs now send as many as 100 participants out into Garfield Park neighborhoods each week. For Hoffman, opening a permanent studio is part of reclaiming space for Black-owned organizations locally: “We can reclaim a space within our community. That was huge for me, as a Black man,” he said. “It’s more than just the physical space. It’s also the motivation … that good feeling that something good is happening in the community.”
Mattie Buckley—an Austin resident who overcame cancer twice—became involved after seeing Hoffman’s mother lose weight on social media. Buckley joined walks with her friend in 2021; she lost weight herself before eventually completing several races including four half-marathons.
Now certified as a run coach and coordinator for Young At Heart programming at Peace Runners’ new headquarters, Buckley continues training for her first full marathon while encouraging others: “If you cannot run, Peace Runners is still a place for them. It’s a place to get as healthy as possible, and also to connect with other people who want to be healthy,” Buckley said. “I have plans.… My goal is not just live but to be as healthy as possible.”
For more information about Peace Runners 773 or its programs visit their website.
