Move. Run. Just have fun!

In 1985, students, faculty, staff and alumni from the Faculty of Health gathered to run through the University of Waterloo campus. Unbeknownst to them, their “Fun Run” would become one of the longest-standing events in the UWaterloo community.

By 2017, more than 600 people would participate by racing, jogging and walking — many in costume.

At the first Fun Run in 1985, participants ran through campus paths. Hand timing was provided at the finish line. 

By 1989, the event had moved from internal campu pathways to the road. Participants would complete two laps around Ring Road. 

 In 2017, more than 600 people participated in the annual Fun Run. The event included its regular costume contest, plus a whole range of family-friendly activities.

Created by Tina Roberts (BSc ‘00), a Health staff member at the time, the first Fun Run included an indoor warmup followed by a wintry run on campus paths. Two years later, she turned the event into a road race, with participants running two laps around Ring Road. 

Betty Bax (BSc ‘82) joined Health as a staff member in the late 1980s and hosted the event with Roberts for years before eventually leading it herself. Her memories of those early events might sound familiar to more recent participants: annual t-shirts, costumes, prizes for race times and for fun.  

While Health hosts the event, it’s always been open to everyone in the UWaterloo community, including their families. For years, the Fun Run was hosted on the same weekend as the Naismith Classic basketball tournament (now called the Don McCrae Naismith Classic), which helped to draw those returning to campus for that event. Eventually, it became part of UWaterloo’s annual Homecoming events, which encouraged more community members to return for a run around campus. Browsing through the Fun Run archives, you can spot participants of all ages and stripes, including basketball fans in full costume, families with strollers and varsity athletes. 

Bax recalls a wide range of participants in her time leading the event: “There were some absolute regulars who came every year. A lot of alumni came in for it. There were obviously some serious runners, and there was frequently a competition among the cross country and track runners on the varsity team. But it was also fun. People would bring their kids in a wagon, that kind of thing.” 

Despite its name, the Fun Run caters to serious runners as well as casual participants. Many of the photos from the 1988 events show runners ready to challenge themselves. 

For years, the Fun Run was hosted on the same weekend as the Naismith Classic basketball tournament. Some of the costumes from this time were meant to cheer on the Warriors in that tournament, including this one from 1994.

Runners of all ages have always been welcome, including those in strollers. Here's one of the tiny participants in 1994.

Every year, participants gather before the race to warm up together. In the 2000 Fun Run photos, a hippie can be spotted in the front row of the warmup.

Then there were the costumes, a beloved part of the annual event. Past costume contest winners include a ghostbuster, tacky tourist, firefighter and so many more. As the years passed, more fanfare was added to the event, with mascots leading the warmup, face painting for kids and special guests. According to the archives, two Olympians have visited the event: Dana Ellis (BSc ‘04) returned after competing in the pole vault in 2004, and gold medalist Heather Moyse (BSc ‘00) acted as grand marshal and guest speaker in 2014.  

The Right Honourable David Johnson was a regular participant during his time as UWaterloo President. The archives tell us that in 2005, he “not only put in an appearance, but finished the two laps of Ring Road in under 30 minutes.” 

 The winners of the 1998 costume contest were a "tacky tourist" and pumpkin. 

 During his time as University President, the Right Honourable David Johnson attended the Fun Run each year. In 2005, he finished the five-kilometre race in under 30 minutes.

This 2011 participant shows that no costume is too simple to show your Fun Run spirit!

The warmup has always been part of the Fun Run, but very low-key in earlier years. By 2013, it involved a stage, mascots and a crew of students. 

As the event grew, more family-friendly elements were added. By 2016, the Fun Run event was much more than a warmup and race. It also featured games, food, face painting, and a visit from AHSSIE the kangaroo, the Faculty of Health's mascot. 

Over the years, the Fun Run expanded its offerings for serious runners. Bax confirms that they offered hand timing in her day. Official times are meticulously recorded in the archives from 1998 on, and in 2012 expert bib tagging was provided to five-kilometre participants. This year, results will be posted online as part of an official race in the running community.  

When asked what makes the event so good, Bax cites a combination of seriousness, fun and human connection: “It allowed people to be competitive, and it allowed them to just enjoy movement and activity. There was a core group of volunteers who assisted with it, and I think people came back to see the professors who participated in the run. It was a bit like a reunion.” 

In 1986, participants followed a simple warmup routine to get their bodies ready for a five-kilometre race. 

According to Bax, the Fun Run has always offered an outlet to be competitive for those who want a challenge. In 2007 this photo from 2007, a number of serious runners are ready at the starting line. 

By 2017, the finish line included much more fanfare than the 1985 event, but the sense of relief and accomplishment among finishing participants was the same.  

In 2025, Bax looks forward to joining the event again, this time as an alum volunteer. With this year’s Fun Run happening on the same day as Homecoming, she hopes to see some alumni who haven’t been back to campus recently.  

“I think it will be an eye-opening  tour if they haven’t been back in a while,” she says. “So much has changed. We have a skyline now, not just Dana Porter Library. And it’s an exciting opportunity to meet with friends and catch up.”