Why Annie & Karrin Run for the Parks (in Paris!)
Our “Why I Run for the Parks” blog series highlights members of our 2026 Team ChiParks charity running team.
The Chicago Parks Foundation has been a proud Bank of America Partner Charity since 2013, with teams running the Bank of America Chicago Marathon (October) and Bank of America Chicago 13.1 (June) with us annually. New for 2026, we also have a small group of Team ChiParks going to the Marathon de Paris (April)!
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 $2.5 million for the parks. This is the Chicago Parks Foundation’s largest annual fundraiser, bringing in unrestricted private funds to help our public parks thrive. We are thankful to each and every member of our team, and we’re excited for you to get to know them!
Meet Annie and Karrin, running pals headed together to Paris for the big race!
Friends Annie and Karrin are two of eight Team ChiParks runners headed to France this April to run the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris. The Chicago Parks Foundation is thrilled to have the opportunity to be included for the first time in this international race, and we are grateful to Annie and Karris for representing Chicago parks!
IS THIS YOUR FIRST MARATHON?
Annie: This is my first Marathon! I’ve trained for several half marathons, but because of injuries, haven’t been able to run!
Karrin: This is my third marathon, but first I’ve done with a friend!
WHAT DOES RUNNING THE 2026 BANK OF AMERICA CHICAGO MARATHON MEAN TO YOU?
Weirdly enough, it’s calming us down, giving us structure and allowing us to be better versions of ourselves at home, work, with friends, etc. While running any distance is something runners should celebrate, to be able to train and run the Paris Marathon together is something exciting. It’s great to have a support system between the two of us; having someone to celebrate the great training runs with and commiserate over the harder ones has been incredible. We’re both excited for April 12th, and the confidence this training cycle has given both of us to take the dedication and discipline we’ve committed to out to other aspects of our lives!
“We both have been fortunate enough to have had access to clean, sustainable, and safe parks throughout our lives. We believe it’s important to continue that access for the next generation of parks users.”
WHY TEAM CHIPARKS?
Annie: I’m from Chicago and have of course spent many, many hours in Chicago parks! My father-in-law volunteers with a Chicago Park, and being able to contribute to the cause by raising money makes me excited to give back to the community and keep improving the park services for the next generation.
Karrin: I’m incredibly grateful to have access to city parks throughout my life. I found my love of running at Salem Lake in Winston-Salem, NC, have run countless miles through the parks of Washington, DC, and am grateful to be just blocks away from Central Park in New York City as I train for Paris! We both have been fortunate enough to have had access to clean, sustainable, and safe parks throughout our lives, and believe it’s important to continue that access for the next generation of parks users.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT TRAINING?
For both of us it’s the routine and being able to channel our competitive nature into a healthy, fun event that also contributes positively to a cause! It’s been really fun to train together. Even though Annie lives in DC and Karrin lives in NYC, we’ve been able to schedule several long training runs together leading up to the race.
OTHER THAN RUNNING, WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?
We both are avid TV watchers, travelers, amateur cooks, and Karrin is a reader, trying to push her habits onto Annie!
