The popular Run the Runway event at the Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling, IL celebrates its 10^th anniversary on June 28 this year. It is open to the public and includes a 5K ‘runway run’, a one-mile walk and a Kids Dash, along with sky-high fun for participants featuring up-close looks at real, working aircraft and photo opportunities with Spiderman and Elsa.

What many don’t know about our Run the Runway fundraising event is that it helps launch real aviation careers. Proceeds from the event support members of Chicago’s Leading Edge, the local chapter of Women in Aviation International, along with two other receiving organizations (Chicago Executive Pilots’ Association and The Ninety-Nines, Inc. – International Organization of Women Pilots). These funds provide scholarships and career-building support for young women pursuing aviation — a field that’s full of opportunity but often short on access. With the help of this community, more women are gaining the skills, confidence, and resources they need to take flight.

“With the support of fabulous sponsors, like the Chicago Executive Airport, our national organization provides around one million dollars in scholarship money to our young members each year,” explains Laurie Mulé, Vice President, Chicago’s Leading Edge. She herself earned a pilot’s license in 2020, enjoys mentoring young women interested in flying, and piloting private aircraft whenever she can. “Our organization helps provide flight training, education, and we were thrilled to send ten young women to aviation conferences in early 2025. Women need other women to boost them up.”

Meet two of Chicago’s Leading Edge Run the Runway scholarship recipients:

 

Grace Kohlert

Grace recently earned her dispatcher certificate and multi-engine rating shortly after graduating cum laude from Lewis University with a bachelor’s degree in aviation administration. She began flight training in 2016 at just 15 years of age. By age 16, she was flying solo. She earned her certified flight instructor license and currently works as a flight instructor and office manager for Fly America at Dekalb Airport. Grace also started a ground school class for those interested in working in that area of an airport. Grace was very inspired to pursue a career in aviation by her flight instructor and would love to fly corporate planes or for a major airline one day.

Lily Fifer

Lily is a student at University of Dubuque where she is studying flight operations and aviation management – and minoring in business. She has achieved her pilot’s license. When she’s not in school or working, she flies three to five times a week. Lily discovered Chicago’s Leading Edge as she was searching for scholarships to help offset the high cost of learning to fly. Her goals are to additionally achieve her CFI, CFII, MEI and then move to Alaska to try bush flying. This refers to flying in remote, often unpaved, and challenging terrain where conventional runways are not available. This can be crucial for delivering people, supplies, and sometimes medical assistance to areas inaccessible by roads.

 

Be sure to join us at this year’s Run the Runway and stop by the Chicago’s Leading Edge booth to meet the team. They’re always looking for new members, mentors, and sponsors to help them expand their efforts. Next year the organization hopes to double the number of scholarship recipients they send to the Women in Aviation National Conference in 2026.

For more information on registering for Run the Runway, click here.