Home > The Scene

Former Albertan and RunTOBeer’s Dan Grant running 50K for Fort McMurray

Toronto's Dan Grant is running 50K on June 16 as a fundraiser to help those affected by the wildfires in Fort McMurray and the surrounding areas.

RunTOBeer

Yesterday I announced I'll be running nearly 50k, pausing at 21 independent Toronto craft breweries, in support of relief efforts in the Fort McMurray area. The date is June 16th, which is Bloomsday, a celebration of the James Joyce classic Ulysses. I'm asking breweries to help by leaving a jar out that day to collect donations. I'll turn 100% of the proceeds over to the Canadian Red Cross to assist the recovery in Alberta. More details at brewscout.wordpress.com #RunTOBeer #Bloomsday #CraftBeer #ONCraftBeer #YMMFire #FortMacFire #JamesJoyce #Ulysses #LeopoldBloom #RedCross #RunTO #RunToronto #RunThe6ix #RunYYZ #YYZ #instarunners #4RUN6 #RunTheSix #TorontoRunner #Brewstagram #Beertography #Instabeer #BrewScout #BeerLegs

A photo posted by Dan Grant (@brewscout) on

Dan Grant, co-founder of RunTOBeer and the man behind Toronto City Running Tours, is doing a 50K Toronto run in June to raise funds for the Fort McMurray community after wildfires hit the northern Alberta city. The former Alberta resident will begin the run on June 16, a date that coincides with Bloomsday from the Ulysses.

RELATED: Edmonton’s running community steps up to help stranded Fort McMurray runners.

During his 50K run Grant plans to stop at 21 local breweries on route. Some stops will be social media check-ins, some will involve a recovery pint, and others will be a stop-in without a drink. All the funds raised in the lead up to the run and on June 16 will go towards the Canadian Red Cross.

“I might not end up collecting a fortune, but considering I was going to run it anyway I’m happy to give my day a greater purpose.”

He’s including stops at breweries because he wants to challenge himself to visit as many spots as possible. Grant will be accepting donations at all RunTOBeer events, with the most recent being an event at Amsterdam Brewery in downtown Toronto, an event with special guests Reid Coolsaet and Rachel Hannah.

RunTOBeer is a bi-weekly running club with runs that end at select breweries around town. Canadian Running spoke with Grant ahead of the June 16 run.

On why Grant’s doing a 50K run as a form of Fort McMurray fundraising

“To be honest, I was going to do the run anyway, just to say I did it. It was purely a way to celebrate Bloomsday in a way that fit with my running and beer-drinking lifestyle. But then, while sitting in a hotel room over the weekend with the news cycle churning out story after story of the devastation back home I figured I could do better. Craft brewers are generally good people who get involved in their communities. Within minutes of launching my blog post I already had breweries tweeting that they wanted to help. I might not end up collecting a fortune, but considering I was going to run it anyway I’m happy to give my day a greater purpose.”

On having other runners partake in the run

“I would love for other runners to join me! Unfortunately I’m not running on a schedule, so other than Muddy York Brewery at 11 a.m., June 16, I don’t know what time I’ll be anywhere. But definitely if anyone wants to join me at any stage I would welcome the company. Tracking my progress on Instagram is probably the best way to figure out where I’m at.”

RELATED: Running through history with Toronto City Runs.

On the name of the run

“Bloomsday is a celebration of James Joyce’s Ulysses, often cited as the greatest work of fiction ever produced. I would bet far more people have run marathons than completed the book. It’s a very challenging read. As an Irish history fanatic as well as a writer, I feel it’s only appropriate for me to do something memorable in line with the novel’s central character, Leopold Bloom, whose one day journey around the streets of Dublin has a very definite booziness about it.”

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

The best trainers in Canada under $150

We curated the best performance trainers under $150 to meet your 2024 running goals, while staying on budget