Lynn Bourque, owner of the Runners Shop on Bloor Street in Toronto, has had a front row seat to running in the city for the past 25 years.
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Bourque → have → years
A marathon coach and runner, Bourque has seen trends come and go — like the many runners she has seen pass by on race days — which gives her a unique insight into why running has seemingly and suddenly become such a worldwide trend.
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running → see → insight
“People are desperate for community and that comes out of COVID,” said Bourque, 62, who donned her first pair of running shoes in her mid-30s, and recently cheered on the more than 31,000 runners who took part in the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon in October.
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who → come → October
“Running is achievable for everyone in all kinds of different ways,” she said.
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she → say → ways
“You don’t have to run 42.2 kilometres.
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You → have → kilometres
There’s so many different run clubs and distances and I just think the sport is so welcoming because we’re all out there doing the same thing, one foot after another, which is a beautiful experience to be part of.”
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which → ’ → another
Part of the beauty of running, in addition to its health benefits, simplicity and relative inexpensiveness when compared to team sports like football and hockey, is how runners have used the sport to connect and raise money for charity.
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runners → compare → charity
The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon has raised more than $57 million for charity since 2003 and run club leaders like Allison Hill said they’re able to use the sport to promote goal setting and increase confidence.
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they → raise → confidence
“Running gives people an opportunity to spend time by themselves and challenge the very ideas that people even have of themselves,” said Hill.
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Hill → give → themselves
She started her run club, Hill Run Club, to empower Black women out of her hair salon on Queen Street East in 2021 and has helped more than 150 new runners cross their first race finish lines.
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runners → start → lines
“Women have to prioritize their health to achieve success in other areas of their lives and I think the sport’s so popular because it allows us to build friendships, self-confidence, self-esteem and deeper connections while strengthening their community,” she said.
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she → have → community
Communities across Ontario are getting involved with the sport and there are run clubs for every identity, pace, distance and nationality.
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Communities → involve → identity
Leading clubs in the city include Parkdale Roadrunners, the Queer Run Club, Food Runners, Asian Toronto Running Club, Team Ultra Black and Me Versus Me, which was started in 2020 by Miguel (Migz) Pink.
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which → lead → Pink
“Joining an inclusive run crew gives people a team aspect while also being able to set individual goals with like-minded people that are obtainable,” said Pink, a former basketball player who started running during COVID and went from struggling across five kilometres to completing ultramarathons and — incidentally — losing 60 pounds the way.
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who → join → pounds
Every year, Pink organizes half marathon trips to Miami for Me Versus Me members, and says running has helped him change his lifestyle from late nights and pizza to long runs and accountability.
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him → organize → runs
“I always hated running and, with basketball, it was always used as a form of punishment.
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it → hat → punishment
But during the pandemic I saw it differently when I realized how freeing it felt and how quickly I was able to improve,” he said.
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he → see → it
“It’s also true that the minute I stepped foot into this whole running world I found an inspiring new group of people and always felt like I had a posse and never felt like I was running alone.
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I → ’ → posse
Running, like anything, begins with a first step, which can be as simple as running to the end of your block.
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which → begin → block
Do that twice in one week and you establish a pattern; then do it three times the next week, continue it for a month and watch as you build yourself a routine.
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you → do → routine
She said anyone can become a runner; you just have to find enjoyment in the routine.
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you → say → routine
That enjoyment could come from making a fun music mix to listen to while running, wearing bright colours or, perhaps most importantly, just relishing the solitude and time away from your phone.
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enjoyment → come → phone
“It doesn’t matter how fast you run and it doesn’t matter how far, and you don’t have to run races, you just need to find something about the activity that feels good,” Krezonoski said.
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Krezonoski → matter → activity
“Running gives you the opportunity to take ownership of an aspect of your life which can feel so empowering.
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which → give → life
It builds confidence in controlling something completely up to you.”
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It → build → you
Ten Toronto run clubs
Because running is better when you don’t do it alone
Queer Run Club
@QRC
Saying it has runs for “fun, chill and silly vibes,” it meets Saturday mornings at 9:20 a.m. and is made up of a wonderfully inclusive group of energetic runners who bring heart to each step they take.
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they → do → step
Midnight Runners Toronto
@midnightrunnerstoronto
Routinely bringing out hundreds of runners at all levels, this Tuesday night run club meets at 7 p.m. and combines strength exercises during their energetic, music-driven runs.
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club → bring → runs
Parkdale Roadrunners
@parkdaleroadrunners
Legendary west side Toronto run club that put the city on the global run crew map (and yes, such a thing exists).
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thing → put → map
“No one left behind,” is the crew’s motto, and they have the best cheer section at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon every year.
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they → leave → Marathon
Wednesday and Friday workouts alongside Sunday morning long runs, this training crew in High Park caters to middle- and long-distance runners.
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crew → cater → runners
If your run club doesn’t have a DJ, is it really a club?
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it → have → DJ
Eastbound Run Crew
@eastbound_runs
Eastbound Brewing’s jogging wing offers 8K, 5K and 3K guided Monday night runs, and the 3K features walking breaks.
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K → offer → breaks
Gotta love a run club that starts and finishes at a bar.
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that → love → bar
Asian Toronto Running Club
@asiantorontorunclub
The Asian Toronto Running Club meets every Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Canoe Landing Park and also hosts social events and training sessions.
Culture Athletics
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Club → meet → events
Recently adding a west side location on Queen Street to their beloved east side store Culture Athletics, husband-and-wife co-owners Nigel Fick and Sarah Deas infuse their run crews with love.
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owners → add → love
The newest run club in Toronto races out of a former bike shop on the corner of Dundas Street and Brock Avenue.
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club → race → Street
Started by Dhani Oks, founder of the Academy of Lions, it’s a place to get seriously fast as it offers world-class running gait analysis and more.
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it → start → analysis
This run club meets Tuesday and Wednesday nights with a Sunday long run from BlackToe Running’s three Toronto store locations.
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club → meet → locations
It offers camaraderie, coaching, race plans and, as often as not, post-training beers.
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It → offer → camaraderie
The Aporia
