Chicago Runner Gets 496 Marriage Proposals, Keeps His Visa

When word spread that record-breaking urban explorer Joabe Barbosa might have to leave Chicago, 496 people proposed marriage to help him stay in America. Some were joking, but many were serious about putting it on paper.

The 25-year-old didn't need to say "I do" after all. Roosevelt University, where Barbosa studies clinical psychology, offered him the chance to teach two undergraduate courses while continuing his own studies, extending his F-1 student visa through 2028.

"Everyone worked really hard to help me extend my visa, and I'm able to stay for another year," Barbosa said. "I'm so, so very happy."

It's a stunning reversal for someone who was planning a farewell tour of the city just weeks ago. Barbosa moved to the United States at 17 and fell in love with Chicago, running more than 90 percent of the city's 4,000-plus miles of streets while wearing a Chicago flag cape.

His Instagram account has grown to nearly 59,000 followers who watch him celebrate every neighborhood from Rogers Park to Hegewisch. In November 2025, he and two friends set a Guinness World Record for visiting every "L" stop in Chicago.

The visa crisis started when Barbosa went unmatched for a clinical internship earlier this year. Without the internship, he faced leaving the country after graduating in 2027, despite years of hard work and tuition payments.

"I was devastated when I found out," he told Block Club Chicago. "I've paid all this money and I've worked so hard for something to just be out of my control."

The Ripple Effect

The community rallied immediately. A GoFundMe raised more than $8,000 to help cover his education costs, while Roosevelt University staff mobilized to find creative solutions.

"It was truly a team effort, and I am proud that those at Roosevelt were able to find alternative ways to continue supporting Joabe," said Courtney Kibble, director of the psychology program. The response shows how one person's infectious love for a city can inspire an entire community to fight for them.

Now Barbosa is planning to finish his quest of running every street in Chicago on Flag Day, June 14. He'll start at Oak Street and Michigan Avenue and end at Buckingham Fountain at 10 a.m., inviting the whole city to join him for the final stretch.

"It's going to be quite a celebration."