Joabe Barbosa has run all 4000 miles of Chicago's streets — every one of the city's 77 community areas and 200+ neighborhoods — and holds the Guinness World Record for visiting every CTA station in under nine hours.
Born in Brazil, raised in London, and now a clinical psychology doctoral student in Chicago, Joabe runs the city wearing the Chicago flag and built a following around one message: Chicago is safe, Chicago is a good city, and you should explore every neighborhood.
In this episode, host Adam Leinberger and Joabe get into:
- How a near-disastrous climb on Mount Washington turned him into a runner
- The best and worst neighborhoods to run (and why The Loop is the hardest)
- Running as a tool for mental health, routine, and reflection
- Becoming a Chicago "hometown hero" as a transplant
- The visa scare, immigration hurdles, and the financial barriers most people never see
- Vacant lots, rent, and why Chicago isn't actually overcrowded
- Universal basic income, crime, and AI's effect on work
- A sharp critique of public transit — and the case for a Chicago "circle line"
- Whether Chicago is really safe, from someone who's run it at every hour of the day
- What comes next after he finishes every street
A conversation about a city, the people in it, and why one runner thinks Chicago deserves more credit than it gets.
Mission From Pod is a Chicago podcast about the people, culture, and stories shaping the city, hosted by Adam Leinberger.
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