Steve Holler and his son John were two of the runners in June 4's "The Western Avenue Six Pack Almost Marathon." The race will take runners through 23.5 miles of Western Avenue, with stops at six bars, including Cork & Kerry; Dot's Place; Water Hole Lounge; Empty Bottle; Spyner's Pub; and, finally, Candlelite Chicago View Full Caption Facebook

CHICAGO — Steve Holler and a few others ran along Chicago's longest continuous street — Western Avenue — in less than five hours last year.

Holler enjoyed the run so much, he's scheduled his "Second Annual Chicago Long Streets Run" for June 3. He's calling the 21.5-mile run the "Halsted Street Almost Marathon."

"I've got to get the long ones done before I'm 60," said Holler, 57, who helped found the series last year.

Halsted is Chicago's second longest continuous street, running from 130th Street on the South Side to Lawrence Avenue on the North Side. The last stretch north of Grace Street is technically Clarendon Avenue, Holler said, but it is still 800 west.

"Not to dis Western Avenue, and with apologies to Studs Terkel and Division Street, but Halsted Street is arguably the quintessential Chicago street," Holler said. "It runs through historic neighborhoods like West Pullman, Roseland, Auburn Gresham, Englewood, Back of the Yards, Bridgeport, Little Italy, Pilsen and the West Loop. It also includes the only island run that will be included on the Chicago Long Streets Run Series — Goose Island — before hitting North Side neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, Lakeview and finally Uptown."

Holler, of Edgewater, would like to start the run around 8 a.m., and, unlike last year — where the group stopped a few times to drink at Western Avenue bars — there will be beer drinking only at the end of the run.

"I learned that it can be pretty hard to find a beer before noon in Chicago," Holler said.

For more information, you can send a Facebook friend request to Holler or email him at steve13holler@yahoo.com.