First time?
There is no sign-up form, and no minimum pace. Just read this and show up to any of our runs!
How a run works
Get to the meeting point about five minutes before. Look for the UTRC shirts and the very obvious crowd of a hundred-odd people. Say hi — someone will find you.
Run at whatever pace feels comfortable, not the one that sounds impressive. There is a sweeper at the back, so going steady never means going alone.
We’ll usually split everyone into groups at the start. Feel free to join whichever one you want! There is a leader at the front and a sweeper at the back to support you in case you fall behind.
On Saturdays, we regroup at the finish and usually end up somewhere with coffee or food. Feel free to stick around and get to know some of the other runners!
Kit list
Dressing for it
Dress for about ten degrees warmer than the thermometer says. You will be cold for the first kilometre and glad of it for the other four.
Most of September, and again from May.
Late autumn and early spring. The easiest running weather there is.
Late November, and again in March. Hands and ears feel it first.
A normal Toronto winter. Layers matter more than thickness.
Windchill does the damage, not the number. Cover everything.
The routes
Shapes below are schematic — your run leader briefs the exact route, crossings and turnaround before every single run.
The Monday and Wednesday loop. Out through campus, round the crescent and back to the steps for the photo.
Same Saturday start, shorter route, finishing at whichever partner café is looking after us that week.
The long option on café-run mornings. Further from campus, more of the city, a proper reason for a second coffee.
Everything else
Nope! UTRC is a drop-in club. Feel free to show up at UC steps on any run day to join!
Unfortuantley UTRC does not have an official place for you to store your belongings so try and pack light with only things that you'll need for the run. If needed, Hart House has some lockers that you can borrow but only if you are have your own lock and are a UofT student.
However fast you are right now! Everyone sets off together and runs their own pace, and a sweeper stays at the back and tries their best to support you.
Yes, of course! Our pace is aimed to be conversational, and we make sure to stop at many traffic lights along the way for you to catch their breath. Many members have ran their first ever 5k with us. A lot of our regulars ran their first ever 5K on a Wednesday with us.
Yup! All of our events, including weekly runs, special events and socials are all free. Ocassionally, we might host a special paid event but we'll make sure to let you know ahead of time on our Instagram or Whatsapp channel.
While we are a University of Toronto student club, and most of our members are UofT affiliated, recent grads and students from other univesities are also welcome to join.
We run. The only things that stop us are genuinely unsafe conditions — ice storms, lightning and extreme cold warnings. If a run is cancelled we post it on Instagram stories and will annouce it on our Whatsapp chennel a few hours beforehand. If weather conditions are unclear, make sure to check before you leave.
Of course! Many of our runners all joined on their own initally and were able to find friends and others to run with during the club. Most runners and usually very welcoming and eager to meet new people so don't be afraid to come alone for your first time!
Usually. Saturdays finish at a partner café with a discount for runners, and most runners usually stay a little bit after weekday runs to chat.
That’s the whole guide
Put the next run in your calendar and we’ll see you at the start.
Find your group
Not sure? Start one group slower than you think. It is far easier to move up halfway through than to blow up in the first kilometre.
