Valentine’s Day may be over, but love still flourishes on Evanston’s lakefront every day.
Some are dedicated runners, others daily walkers, but the path along the lake remains filled with those who find joy in the beauty of the water, movement and connection.
Ronda Patino (Weinberg ’79) is an experienced runner who has participated in the 5k for Evanston’s Race Against Hate and Evanston’s Flying Turkey race. She said her longest race was a half marathon in 1988.
Though not much can keep her from staying active, she has two rules: no biking below 34 degrees and no running much below 20 degrees.
On Saturday morning, Patino walked to the Indoor Farmers’ Market on the lakefront, a biweekly practice of hers.
“Being able to move and eat well and stay hydrated are tremendously underrated,” she said.
Now retired, Patino said she enjoys the community and the relaxed feeling on the lakefront.
Northwestern Molecular Biosciences Prof. Laura Lackner was also out on the lakefront, running 10 miles with a friend. She said she avoids running when it gets super icy but said the city often de-ices the paths along the lake.
“Start with run/walks — just get out there even if it’s just walking and enjoying the outside,” Lackner said.
She described Evanston’s running community as inclusive and welcoming. Lackner met her husband of nine years through the Evanston Running Club.
That same morning, Arnaud Tao ran past a home he and his wife were looking to lease in Evanston for their family of six. After running through Evanston’s community for years, he decided it was time to find a home here.
Tao, an ultra runner, trains for his 50-mile and 100-mile races by running from Lincoln Park to Evanston’s lakefront, averaging about 20 miles round trip. Every Saturday, he commits to a long-distance run, trying to average around 30-40 miles during the winter months to prepare for spring and summertime travels.
“It’s just my thing, it’s where I get that sense of discipline,” Tao said. “It gives me something to strive for, to push my body, to really see what I can do.”
The weather doesn’t deter him either. Sometimes even running shirtless, he said cold runs are the runs he “lives for.”
For him, running also serves as a physical and emotional reset.
“Nothing can get past a good run,” Tao said. “Doesn’t matter what stress or whatever it is that you’re facing, a good run will put you at ease.”
While some are running to prepare for marathons, others are taking their time, moving at a slower pace.
For Mary Krone, the lakefront is for taking slow walks to enjoy the world around her. After 25 years of living in Chicago’s western suburbs, she moved back to Evanston during the pandemic. Now living alone for the first time in her life, she said she finds comfort in her daily walks along Sheridan Road and the lakefront.
“There are few decisions in my life that have been good, and this is a big one,” Krone said. “One is becoming a nurse and this is way up there.”
She described the lakefront as a “gift” because the sky and water look different each day. Though she said she treasures the sunsets and recently watched the moon rise in Clark Square Park, she primarily enjoys the lake.
Krone said she’s never regretted a walk and will continue until “the cows come home.”
“You need to stay active. … Do it in a way you love,” Krone said.
She said living doesn’t feel lonely with the friends she’s made along the way, some of which are animals she brings nuts to feed.
The runners and walkers have their own reasons for rising early, but they all find themselves at Evanston’s lakefront at the crack of dawn, exchanging greetings as they pass.
Email: luluyatekle2028@u.northwestern.edu
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— Local organizations provide food, resources for people in need this Thanksgiving
