Signature Event: Running Tour of Freed to Kill with Gera-Lind Kolarik

About the event:

Join Read & Run Chicago, Gerber/Hart Library and Archives, Haymarket House, and Gera-Lind Kolarik at Haymarket House (800 W Buena) on Sunday, September 27 at 10:00 AM for a 3.6-mile running tour or biking tour (s/o BFF Bikes!) of the chilling true crime history in Gera-Lind’s book, Freed to Kill: The True Story of Serial Murderer Larry Eyler as part of our Fall 2026 Signature Events Season, “Chicago Between the Lines.”

After the route, hear a live Q&A with Gera-Lind Kolarik and browse archives.

Gerber/Hart staff will bring a display of materials from 1980s Chicago including travel guides, leather bar memorabilia, and gay press coverage showing how the gay press in Chicago and Indianapolis fought to alert their communities of the dangers of Eyler well before police took action.

Schedule

• 9:45 AM – Gather at Haymarket House (800 W Buena)
• 10:00 AM – Program begins
• 10:20 AM – Running and biking tour routes begin
• 12:00 PM – Q&A, snacks, and archives at Haymarket House (800 W Buena)

Reading:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the graphic nature and potential for triggers in Freed to Kill, we decided to make this a Running Tour (no pre-reading required), rather than Book Club Run (pre-reading required and discussion of book along route). However, we recommend reviewing some of the history and details of this case prior to attending.

If you’re interested in reading Freed to Kill: The True Story of Serial Murderer Larry Eyler, here’s how to access it:

• Borrow from Gerber/Hart Library and Archives or your local library branch
• Purchase the e-book from Simon & Schuster here
• Purchase used hard copies from Read & Run Chicago at Printers Row Lit Fest (September 12-13) or at the event on September 27

Meet your hosts

Read & Run Chicago is a community organization managed under Read & Run Tours. Founded in 2021, the mission is simple: to use movement and stories to explore Chicago. Programming includes free community meetups like book swaps and reading nights, plus the signature Read & Run Tours event format we’re most known for: book-themed guided runs where stories take place, all inspired by books set in Chicago, mostly written by local authors. Read & Run Chicago’s ultimate goal is to help Chicagoans better connect with themselves, each other, and the physical spaces they call home. Along the way, Read & Run Chicago champions literacy initiatives, local nonprofits, public libraries, independent bookstores, and the writers who bring Chicago’s communities to life. We’ve hosted over 120 events featuring 30+ authors and local experts and have been highlighted by CNN, Runner’s World, Midwest Living, NBC’s Chicago Today, FOX32 Good Day Chicago, WGN Radio, Block Club Chicago, and more. More information at readandrunchicago.com, Instagram, and Facebook.

Gerber/Hart Library and Archives is a LGBTQ+ library and archives located in the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago. Founded in 1981, Gerber/Hart is one of the largest repositories of LGBTQ+ content in the world. Gerber/Hart is a 501(c)3 non-profit and focuses on collecting, preserving, and making accessible the LGBTQ history and culture of Chicago and the Midwest. Learn more at gerberhart.org or by following @gerberhart on Instagram and Facebook. And for a deep dive into some of the amazing collections at Gerber/Hart, listen in to their podcast Unboxing Queer History!

Gera-Lind Kolarik is an award-winning journalist and author of Freed to Kill. Kolarik is the founder, CEO and Executive Producer of Evidence Video, a Chicago-based video production company that assists attorneys in personal injury and workers compensation cases — doing over 200 cases a year.

Haymarket House is the home of Haymarket Books and rooted in Chicago’s rich history of resistance and ongoing struggles for liberation.They host political, cultural, literary, and community events in our several events spaces, kitchen, library, and garden. They are committed to uplifting the work of writers, artists, thinkers, activists, educators, and everyday folks in the struggle for a better world.