Sometimes you get the best ideas while out for a long run. Then, by the time you get halfway through your run, you scratch your head and say, "Huh? What was that brilliant concept I had back at mile four?" You swear you'll write it down when you get home and by the time you're unlacing your shoes, you've already forgotten it.

Well, this is about a great idea that has become one of the most innovative running events-a must for anyone who runs and wants to connect with this great community-in the city of Chicago. It's part fun run, part educational lesson and part Chicago tour, all rolled up: it's the Fleet Feet Historical Neighborhood Fun Run.

A couple of years ago, Chuck Betzold, John Anderson and Dave Zimmer headed out for their Friday morning run along the streets of Ravenswood Manor. You can guess the usual banter about race times and training schedules, but Betzold, a lifelong Chicagoan who grew up in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, would point out the local spots and start telling his running buddies stories about each location.

"Chuck wouldn't be quiet," Zimmer recalled, "At every corner he had something to say." And so they continued, week after week. Weeks turned into months. And guess what, Betzold still had stories to share with a fresh anecdote for every street corner, twist in the trail and storefront that used to be so and so's.

"On one of our first runs, we ran by the corner of Sheridan and Wilson, and Chuck reminded us that's where the [base] ball players like Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth used to stay when they played in town." Zimmer marveled. "You know, the history in Chicago is mind-blowing. Knowing all of this is what makes this huge city feel like a small neighborhood."

So, like all great ideas that aren't forgotten before the end of a run, they decided to share Chuck's knowledge with fellow runners and start a series of historical fun runs originating from Fleet Feet's Lincoln Square store, which Zimmer owns and manages with his wife, Lisa. Betzold, a self-proclaimed history buff and accomplished runner who prefers ultras to short distances, agreed to host the runs. This past year, a few hundred runners toured the city by foot with Betzold at the helm and learned about the Old Lakewood Train Line, the North Branch of the Chicago River, Historic Sheridan Park and Uptown to name a few.

On Sunday, March 16, I joined a group of about 30 runners for the "Far End of the Running Path: Jackson Park and the World's Fair of 1893" run. It was a gorgeous day with temperatures in the low 60s. Goodbye winter. It was great to put on shorts, don a pair of sunglasses and sleep in. These historic fun runs cater to the leisurely bunch with a start time of noon.

We all climbed aboard a red trolley car at Fleet Feet and off we went on our little adventure. Bowen Tucker, 64, of Arlington Heights didn't mind driving in from the suburbs to join the group. "The first two that I did were so much fun that I wanted to come back," he said. "I didn't grow up in Chicago, so much of this is all new to me. I've seen a lot from this north end of the path, but not the other."

We were about to embark on a running tour of Jackson Park, home of the 1893 Columbian Exposition, the greatest world's fair in history. Betzold gave everyone a handout with highlights of the tour and a map of the five-mile course outlined on the other side-it's a keeper.

The trolley dropped us off at the South Shore Cultural Center at 7059 S. South Shore Dr. Everyone gathered around Betzold, who gave us a little historical overview. "This was a private club, established back in 1905 and served the elite of Chicago society until the 1960s," he said. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it's a sight to behold with beautiful terra cotta towers. We all traipsed inside to view the grand ballroom and solarium.

Then we ran along the path behind La Rabida Hospital and took a short break as Betzold told us a bit of history. During the World's Fair, a replica of the La Rabida monastery in Spain was built and housed artifacts of Columbus' historic voyage. The Spaniards donated it to the city to be used as a fresh air sanitarium for sick children.

Next stop: the Animal Bridge on the overpass just north of Marquette Drive. Granted, it was under construction (due to be completed this year), but if you've never seen the sculptured rhinoceros and hippopotamus heads and gargoyles, it's a must stop for any destination run.

I noticed how friendly everyone was and how refreshing it is to run and not worry about mile markers or pace. Jennifer Leslie, who has done a few of the historic runs, summed it up. "We're a different crowd. We like to sleep late, run slow and stop often," she said.

We leisurely made our way over to Jackson Park and stopped across the street from the "Golden Lady" Statue of the Republic. While this replica is about 20 feet high, we learned that the original statue was 65 feet high, covered in gold leaf.

Next we entered the Wooded Island, home of the Osaka Japanese Garden. One really cannot help but feel a certain calmness and tranquility here.

We took a group picture by the Palace of Fine Art-never heard of it? As Betzold explained, this was the original name of the Museum of Science and Industry.

My favorite spot was the Bob-O-Link Nature Trail along the East Lagoon with prairie grass gently blowing in the breeze - You'd never know how close Lake Shore Drive was or guess that this was a U.S. Army installation site during the 1950s and 60s.

At the end of this trail we stopped for our longest break and everyone gazed upward at the light poles with huge nests at the top. The squawks were loud and followed by a flap of wings, and darn if it wasn't the bright green parakeets I'd always heard about. This was all new to Angelle Trent, too. "I've never been this far south," she said. "I had no idea parakeets could last through the winter."

Our tour concluded at the 63rd St. Beach Jackson Park Pavilion where our trolley took us north along Lake Shore Drive into the Sunday afternoon rush hour traffic. . . back to reality.

In addition to the historic places they toured this year, Betzold would like to do run the boulevards and also Goose Island and the Old Town Triangle. He says he'll continue doing this as long as it's fun. That could be a long time!

For more information on these historical fun runs, contact Fleet Feet Sports at 312-587-3338 or 773-271-3338 or visit, www.fleetfeetchicago.com/. The summer series will run from July through October with a combination of runs starting at the Lincoln Square store and the Piper's Alley store. The winter series will kick off in January of 2004, with all runs starting at Lincoln Square.

Brenda Barrera, who is always looking for fun new places to run, is co-author of "Chicago Running Guide: 40 Best Routes in the Chicago Area" (Human Kinetics).