Toronto run club under fire amid allegations of harassment, drug use
A viral TikTok complaint spiraled into several extreme allegations against one of Toronto's most popular run clubs
Photo by:
Mizuno/MidnightRunners
A popular Toronto run club that hosts hundreds of runners each week has attracted scrutiny after several videos went viral on the social media app TikTok, accusing the group of harassment, drug use and public disturbances.
The allegations
On Tuesday, Dec. 19, a TikTok user named Zulf posted a video saying she was attacked by members of a run club, who she says purposely ran into her multiple times. The woman said the runners in the group do not move out of the way for pedestrians and don’t care if they hit them as they run through. She went on to call them “bullies in plain sight,” and has since started a petition to stop large running groups from gathering in Toronto’s busy public spaces. (But despite Zulf’s complaint getting 3,000,000 views on TikTok, her petition has fewer than 500 signatures.)
@zulllfff My shoulder hurts so bad! Im so pissedddd #fyp #toronto #torontotiktok #toxicpeople #bullies #bully #torontotiktok #immad #xybca
A member of the Tuesday night group Midnight Runners mocked Zulf’s video, jokingly referring to the club as “Toronto’s most dangerous gang” and posting a collection of videos of the group (which has clubs in several other international cities) running in the middle of downtown streets and through Toronto’s busy downtown Eaton Centre mall.
The two videos led to an array of complaints online about the Midnight Runners run club. One user said she went for a run with the group in 2019, and found it to be great for meeting new people. In the same video, she said she had, on “multiple occasions,” walked in on run leaders snorting white powder at post-run parties, which made her feel uncomfortable. She said a former club team captain also told her she left the group after frequently witnessing drug use among members.
@lovelivalexa #stitch with @Zulf they really do give off gang vibes 😩 #runtok #runnerslife #marathontraining #torontolife
Several other runners posted videos accusing the club of harassment, with one TikTok user saying they trampled her four-month-old puppy during a run. According to one captain, the Midnight Runners attract nearly 200 runners to their Tuesday night runs.
Who are the Midnight Runners?
The Midnight Runners are a social run group founded in London (U.K.) in 2015. It has since evolved into a global network of runners that meet weekly after hours for a “fun-spirited, boot camp-style” group run. It is open to everyone, regardless of their background or athletic ability. Last year, Midnight Runners had more than 100,000 annual participants across 18 major cities worldwide, including Toronto, where the club has operated since 2019. The size of the Toronto group has tripled since the pandemic, with numbers nearing 400 at their Tuesday runs in the summer and fall.
The club has two city leaders in Toronto, who report to the global group. Each city has a number of team captains who lead the runs; Toronto has 18 team captains.
“Due to the increase in attendance, our captains try hard to make the routes safe and accessible for all,” said one local captain. “We are a volunteer-led, inclusive global social running community. Our goal is to provide people with a nice start to running. They can run at an easy pace and meet new friends, nothing intense and no commitment, plus it’s free. Our runs are more than just workouts; they’re about connection, city exploration, and shared joy.”
For the past 12 months, the group has moved its runs to a larger space, starting and ending at Stackt Market in downtown Toronto. After the run, the group frequently heads to a nearby bar for post-run drinks and music. “We are more of a social club than a run club,” the captain admits.
the toronto running club beef with a single person on tiktok is a perfect way to wrap up the year. imagine being this passionate about fun runs. normally I'd say go outside but please don't. or just like run by yourself or with a loved one merry xmas pic.twitter.com/O1uNw78flp
— nina (@lil_pissed) December 22, 2023
The club’s response
The Midnight Runners have yet to release a public statement in response to the allegations. “Our city leads have decided to stay quiet,” another team captain told us. But the club says they are planning to release a statement once the furor dies down. “We chose to observe and understand the context better before responding,” the city leads said. The club is currently on a holiday break until runs resume on Tuesday, Jan. 16.
The two city leads also said the TikTok videos caught them by surprise, given the nature of the claims, and have denied all accusations. “It was disheartening to see how quickly unverified claims can gain traction and bring real-life threats to our community members while potentially harming a group that’s brought so much positivity and joy to its members,” says the city leaders, who requested to remain anonymous.
The captains also denied the rumours and added that they only ran at the Eaton Centre and in other high-traffic areas for “crowd control purposes.”
“We always try to stick to open paths and park areas—the last thing we want to do is to bump into or hurt people.” Both captains also asked to remain anonymous.
Public speculation
With the original video becoming trending on TikTok, many influencers began creating false rumours about the club to get more views. We reached out to the woman who posted the video about witnessing drug use after joining in 2019. She declined to comment on the situation. Interestingly, the same influencer commented on a video in 2022, referring to the Midnight Runners as “a great social opportunity, and a very fun group.”
Leaders from other Toronto run clubs commented indirectly on the controversy, observing that run crews need to be safe and respectful while sharing sidewalks, paths and roads. Toronto run crew Chix Run The 6ix posted that “It is important to follow the general etiquette of keeping to the right, allowing room for others to pass, running single file when required, and slowing down in high traffic areas in addition to following traffic signs and signals. Let’s continue to be courteous and highlight all the positivity that the running community brings.”
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