Club Scene

RunTOBeer, Toronto

March 2, 2014 was brutally cold in downtown Toronto. Dan Grant stood and waited, dressed in running gear equipped to handle the elements. In those frigid conditions, the usually busy streets were nearly void of pedestrians but off in the distance, a figure ran towards Grant. As he got closer, he stopped, looked at Grant and said “Are you the one who is running to the brewery?” That was the first ever run of the now well-known RunTOBeer group – a Toronto club famous for capping off the run with beer at a local brewery or coveted pub. That night was also the first time founders Dan Grant and Tej Sandhu met. The run club – now 2,300 Facebook members strong – started on Twitter. “I put out a Tweet saying, ‘I’m going to run 5k to Mill Street Brewery, who wants to join me?’” says Grant. “Tej was the only one who showed up.” The idea behind that 140-character message was to gather people to blend two social activities: running and having a pint. The fact that only Sandhu showed up didn’t dissuade Grant. There was a lot of interest on social media. The two knew they were onto something. They decided to form a club. “We thought we’d never get more than 25,” says Grant.

Now, in late 2016, about 100 followers from their broad social media presence show up to each run. Meet ups initially happened every other Sunday but as the group grew, so too did their calendar. “Brewer’s Backyard” is the name given to long weekend runs, “Venture Off the Beaten Path” is a Tuesday trail run in summer, and on the first Saturday of each month, is the Toronto chapter of Mikkeller Club – an international beer club with the Toronto version hosted by RunTOBeer. On top of that, the group often partners with Canada Running Series for training runs on Thursdays.

The group which was striving for a couple dozen members has become a staple in the Toronto running scene, an intro to running for many beer industry people and good business for pubs and breweries in the city. When RunTOBeer started getting attention, breweries started reaching out with an offer: bring the pack of runners, their first pint will be free. “That was big for us when the breweries recognized what we were doing,” says Grant. “From there, the runners always have their first beer free.” Usually they stick around to buy a second or third. It’s a win-win for everyone.

RunTOBeer has evolved greatly since 2014. Club beer glasses sit in the cupboards of many runners and at races throughout Ontario, it’s easy to spot a RunTOBeer shirt in the crowd. When members travel, clad in that shirt, they often snap a shot and tag the group on social media. They have even branched out and done runs in the Muskoka area, Ottawa and Montreal. How will it grow from here? That’s hard to say.

“I could maybe see a day where a chapter would happen in another city,” says Grant. RunTOBeer offspring in Calgary or Vancouver – that’s a far cry from when Grant waited on a dark and snowy corner crossing his frozen fingers and hoping someone would come.