More than 300 active Torontonians laced up their sneakers and escaped the wintry elements Sunday morning by participating in a unique, almost unheard-of running event inside the city’s downtown PATH system.
The first-ever BougeBouge Toronto Underground invited participants of all ages to run, jog or walk a 5 km trail throughout the massive network of corridors, shops and restaurants.
Runners kicked off the race at Brookfield Place and zigzagged through numerous levels and areas of the PATH like Commerce Court, Scotia Plaza, First Canadian Place, Metro Hall and Royal Bank Plaza.
A nonprofit organization based in Quebec, BougeBouge aims to reduce physical inactivity and encourage active living through various healthy lifestyle events and initiatives. Operating since 2018, the group encourages adolescents, young families and retirees to explore their communities in a positive way.
Event director and two-time Olympian Kathy Tremblay has organized similar running events in recent weeks, including jaunts at an underground course in Montreal and a shopping mall in Quebec City. She was eager to introduce the concept to Toronto as the city manages the largest underground shopping complex in the world.
“There’s no one else who does this,” she told TorontoToday. “We’re always trying to think of new ways to do things.”
Used by 200,000 commuters every day, the PATH spans more than 30 km, connects more than 75 buildings and six subway stations, and generates around $1.7 billion in sales annually, according to the city.
Like the PATH itself, organizing Sunday’s run was complex, Tremblay said.
Tremblay and her colleagues began mapping out their intended trail last July. Because the network is private property, the BougeBouge team needed permission to facilitate the event from the owners of every individual building they hoped to include in their chain.
“You can’t just come and say: ‘I’m doing a race.’ You need the authorization,” she explained. “We were knocking on a lot of doors and trying to find the right people to talk to.”
Months of planning and four iterations of maps later, BougeBouge volunteers got the go-ahead from 11 different property owners and finalized the 5 km network that played out today.
Although the PATH can appear puzzling to locals and tourists who don’t venture down there often, Tremblay said an event like hers can provide people with an opportunity to learn how to navigate Toronto and enjoy the wonders of a city below ground.
“It’s all connected and easy to use in certain ways,” she said. “It’s all linked, so it’s definitely possible to learn how to walk the PATH. We’re hoping this helps people from Toronto to find better ways to use the PATH and see all that it offers.”
Among Sunday’s participants were Alisa Calthuizen and Alok Ghosh, both of whom had only competed in one other race before.
Ghosh, who works in the PATH near Hudson’s Bay in the Eaton Centre, picked up running during the pandemic. He finished the 5 km trek in 23 minutes.
“I actually took a little video of myself running by my work,” he laughed. “I know the PATH inside and out, but it’s so surreal to be able to run in it. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
“I would absolutely do this again,” Calthuizen added. “It was nice to be inside today.”
Chatting near the finish line at Brookfield Place, TorontoToday also caught up with runners Gabrielle, a first-time racer, and Olivier, who runs 15 km every week.
Living in Toronto for the past 15 years and using the PATH system frequently, the two were surprised by how much they learned about the underground network in the 29 minutes they took to complete the run.
“We felt like tourists a few times,” Gabrielle said. “I asked, ‘Where are we?’ several times. But it was really fun and a great way to spend a Sunday morning.”
“We definitely discovered a few corners that we never explored,” Olivier added. “I don’t like running in the snow, so we’re especially happy to be indoors today. This is awesome for the city, and it was a good way to burn off the pizza I had last night.”
