Historia
The Carrera de los Muertos evolved from two distinct passions; one of which includes the community of Pilsen and the other being the long-standing tradition of the Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos. The two came together and joined forces in 2007 to bring to the world the most unique 5k race-The Carrera de los Muertos!
The neighborhood of Pilsen, located in the lower west side of Chicago has a very rich and unique history. Traditionally an Eastern European immigrant destination in the 1800’s, glimpses of the old world are still visible as baroque style architectural buildings still stand strong along Ashland and 18th street. The neighborhood now brings a unique mixture of Mexican and modern flavors that echo through the air. Just take a walk down 18th street and you see a fusion of local restaurants, tortillerias, mercados and unique local bakery shops blended with trendy new boutique shops and hip new bars. And who can forget about all the cool art galleries located along Halsted not to mention all the murals located throughout the community. There is such a thing as a perfect community to host a 5k run, and that community is Pilsen!
Our race coincides with the Day of the Dead, a unique Hispanic custom which has long been a Mesoamerican tradition. For centuries, this holiday that is based around All Souls Day has been distinguished for commemorating the deceased in a number of ways, including building altars or ofrendas with memorabilia from specific loved ones that have past away. However, this holiday is not one that revolves around the subject of death but rather the celebration of life. UNO celebrates this celebration of life with a festival-like event in the heart of Chicago.
