Team Ultra Black hits the ground running, building community for Black runners in Hamilton

Marchio Whyte wasn't always a runner but when the world shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, he took up the sport as a way to stay active. 

Whyte looks like he's been running for years. He's dressed in a bright green Puma windbreaker that reads 'RUNTOMTL' — a 650 kilometre relay race from Toronto to Montreal. But for the 33-year-old Brantford, Ont., resident, running came with a learning curve. During the pandemic it became difficult to stay motivated.

"During COVID I was always running by myself," Whyte told CBC Hamilton. "When you're by yourself it kind of sucks. You run better when you're with a community," said Whyte.

In the summer of 2024, Whyte set out to find a running community. There are many. According to a 2024 report released by Strava, there was a 59 per cent increase in running club participation worldwide last year.

Whyte found Ultra Black Wellness Society, a wellness and fitness group focused on empowering the Black community.

The non-profit launched in January 2024. Its run clubs began in May that year.

Whyte learned that the run clubs met Tuesday evenings in downtown Toronto and Mississauga — not an easy commute for the Brantford resident. 

"I ended up joining the Saturday morning run in Mississauga …. I'd wake up at 6 a.m. in the morning and go run with them," said Whyte.

Whyte became the lead runner for the Mississauga club and soon realized there were others making the trip in from Hamilton. 

That's when Whyte realized there was a need for a club in Hamilton.

"When it comes to running, distance running, you don't see much Black people … so for me,  I just wanted to really try and build that community and let people see that we belong in these spaces, too," Whyte said.

He helped launch Team Ultra