Joabe Barbosa

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 runnerThe best and worst neighborhoods to run (and why The Loop is the hardest)Running as a tool for mental health, routine, and reflectionBecoming a Chicago "hometown hero" as a transplantThe visa scare, immigration hurdles, and the financial barriers most people never seeVacant lots, rent, and why Chicago isn't actually overcrowdedUniversal basic income, crime, and AI's effect on workA 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 dayWhat comes next after he finishes every streetA 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. New episodes regularly — follow so you don't miss one.