The second day of spring was marked by a profusion of pink in Chinatown’s Ping Tom Memorial Park.
The walkways were dotted not with flowers but about 100 women of all ages in rosy hoodies, hats, sneakers, socks and bandanas on Saturday morning. One pushed a baby in a stroller, another walked a small dog, and a couple others brought along male companions. Following a group chant — “Gratitude! Goals! Confidence!” — they traversed a two-mile loop around the park.
The occasion was the Hot Girl Walk, a women’s fitness and empowerment trend made famous on TikTok by Los Angeles-based influencer Mia Lind. Since she began documenting her daily walks in 2020, her videos have garnered millions of views and inspired free monthly meetups in more than 30 cities internationally. On Saturday alone, there were simultaneous Hot Girl Walks in New York City, Dallas, Houston, Portland, Charlotte and Bentonville. The next Chicago event will take place again at Ping Tom Memorial Park on April 11 at 9:30 a.m.
Participants can even download an official “Hot Girl Walk” playlist on Spotify.
Participants of Hot Girl Walk go around Ping Tom Park in Chinatown, Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Despite the name, the event is not about meeting a certain beauty standard, but being thankful, determined and self-assured. From graduating college to beating breast cancer, the Chicago attendees expressed pride in achievements that had nothing to do with their appearance.
“Being a hot girl is not always about a look or a certain type of attitude,” said Kelsey Roundtree, 31, of Englewood, who is studying business management at Rasmussen University. “It’s just being the best you can be.”
Kelsey Roundtree, who said she walks seven miles every day, joins Hot Girl Walk at Ping Tom Park in Chinatown, Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
That was precisely Lind’s vision for what she calls a global cultural movement. She started her walks in pa
