Runner Beats Toronto Transit
A runner in Toronto raced the new Crosstown LRT over a 5-kilometer stretch and won by 10 minutes. The event sparked debate about the efficiency of public transport versus the speed and health benefits of running in the city.
- The runner, Mac Bauer, has a history of racing Toronto's transit, having previously beaten the Finch West LRT by 18 minutes in December 2025. He also regularly races and wins against the city's streetcars. - The race took place just a week after the Eglinton Crosstown LRT officially opened to the public, following 15 years of construction marred by significant delays and budget overruns. - Bauer completed the 5-kilometer run from Kennedy station to the Aga Khan Park and Museum station despite icy sidewalks that forced him into the bike lane for safety. His partner, Annie Yang, rode the train to time its journey. - The full Eglinton Crosstown line is a 19-kilometer route with 25 stops, including a 10-kilometer underground section, and is projected to decrease travel times by up to 60% compared to previous transit options. - The LRT's slow performance in above-ground sections has been attributed to the close spacing of stops and a lack of traffic signal priority, which forces the trains to wait at red lights. - In response to the public debate sparked by Bauer's races, Toronto's mayor has called for a review to implement "more aggressive" signal priority for the city's LRTs and streetcars. - Similar "man vs. machine" races have occurred in other cities, such as Boston's "Charlie Card Challenge," an unsanctioned 6.6-mile race against the Green Line subway.
