Featured Guest: Jackie Hoffman

Jackie Hoffman founded Peace Runners 773 to bring awareness to health and wellness through physical, mental and social wellbeing while creating safe spaces for movement in underserved communities. Hoffman’s number one motivation was his mom, who faced health challenges that inspired him to find ways to close the life expectancy gap. 

During the pandemic, she was on the phone with a doctor who informed his mother, 62 at the time, that the average life expectancy on the West Side was only 66 and the number varies with area codes. His mother dealt with high blood pressure, prediabetes and obesity, Hoffman said.

Jackie challenged his mom to walk a mile a day. His push turned into 60 lost pounds, a decrease in medication and increased time between doctor visits. After that, Hoffman wondered what he could do for others on the West Side.

“That’s what started Peace Runners 773,” said Hoffman. “We were seeing how we could take space and [support] marginalized communities where running isn’t accessible, you could say. We take people into these spaces and activate them for violence prevention. When you have 100 people running down the street, it makes a difference, it changes the atmosphere, it’s inspiring.” 

Since the organization’s founding in 2020, Hoffman and his team have created programs for runners at all ages and skill levels to tackle obesity, low life expectancy and mental health issues. As a result of these programs, more than 1,130 participants have combined to run 50,000+ miles in Chicago’s West Side communities and participated in half marathons and marathons.