New Toronto run club is a hit for its unique mix of cardio and cafe stops

A recently established run club in Toronto has taken an unexpected turn, combining hot local cafes with fitness.

Nothing — and we mean nothing — beats that first bite of a tasty treat after a lengthy workout. Sure, as a society, we've moved past the notion of "earning" your snacks through exercise, but that doesn't mean that a little bit of cardio won't work up an appetite.

It’s a truth that Steve Cao and Matthew Michrowski of the soon-to-open Dupont 24 Hour Fitness, and avid runner Jamie Gerwurz, being a trio of fitness fanatics themselves, know all too well. That's why their run club, Dupont Run Club, blends the best of fitness and local food.

Funnily enough, it was a meeting at Rooms Coffee's 915 Dupont, one of the neighbourhood’s trendiest (and, if we do say so ourselves, tastiest) coffee shops, that sparked the whole idea for the run club, which covers The Annex and Dovercourt Village along Dupont.

"Our first run had about 40 people or so show up and run with us, which was awesome," co-founder Steve Cao told us. "And we've been doing it every Saturday morning since."

The food element only entered once the run club had already been established. Cao told us that, quickly, local brands and restaurants began taking notice of Dupont Rub Club, liked what they were doing, and started offering partnerships of sorts.

"The first one was Alma Mate, which is a local Yerba Mate drink brand," Cao says. "Dan, the owner, just showed up on our first run and gave out some of his drinks, which were super yummy."

WakeWater, who works out of an office in the neighbourhood, was another early partner, offering to provide free electrolyte sticks to members on the club's most recent run.

From there, lightbulbs went off for Cao, Michrowski and Gerwurz.

"We started reaching out to different cafes in the area because we figured it would be a good place to end the runs and all just chill and chat with one another," Cao explains. "I started reaching out to see if they were able to give anything away for our run club members, and all the places I reached out to were super receptive and amazing hosts."

In just seven weeks, Dupont Run Club has become something of an underground foodie fitness get-together, where each run eventually culminates with nourishment from local hot spots in the neighbourhood.

After the club's fourth run, they all congregated at Contra Cafe, where members got 15 per cent off their post-workout fuel. On week six, the members could get a free coffee with the purchase of a sandwich at Masa Deli. Last weekend, they finished off at Better Days Coffee & Donuts.

It's almost like a win-win for those of us who find ourselves constantly torn between spending our time working out or ticking off spots on our restaurant lists. And, hey, a little discount as a reward doesn't hurt, either.

While the food angle certainly wasn't the instigating factor for the run club, Cao says that incorporating local cafes in the fun has opened his eyes to all the places in the neighbourhood he'd like to team up with in the future.

"One thing I've really enjoyed doing during planning these runs [is] being able to highlight local spots, especially more mom and pop spots," Cao told us. "My goal is to pretty much hit up all of the local cafes, brunch spots, restaurants and even stores within about a 3 km radius of the gym."

Currently, Progress Bakery, a favourite of his and Michrowski’s for their veal sandwiches, is at the top of his list and, down the line, he hopes to be able to partner with some bigger brands (while continuing to support smaller local spots) so that he can give away even more goodies to the run club's members.

For now, you can keep up with Dupont Rub Club by following their social media and finding out where they'll be stopping for a post-run snack next.