A Toronto running group is comprised of chefs from some of the city's most popular restaurants who cook for each other after their runs.

While Toronto has a multitude of running groups for people of all ages and abilities, The Food Runners may be one with some of the best perks.

Founded by Chuck Ortiz in 2014, the majority of the group is made up of people from the city's restaurant industry. Prior to COVID-19, they would meet up every Wednesday for their weekly run and refuel session.

This consisted of running anywhere from five to eight kilometers and then sitting down for a snack or meal prepared by one of the group's chefs. Each week the cooking duty would rotate, so everyone got a chance to provide the group with their specialty.

They have chefs from restaurants and bars across the city, like executive chef Hans Vogels from Momofuku Noodle Bar. Other places that have been represented in their group include Bar Piquette, Sugo, Maker Pizza, Eastbound Brewing Company, Matty's Patty's and more.

Cayla Schafer joined the group in 2016 after working in the restaurant industry for over 10 years. She was introduced to The Food Runners after a co-worker brought her to one of their runs, and since then she's been an avid member. 

She told blogTO that the food prepared for them is top-tier. She joked that all of the meals have made her accustomed to a pretty high standard of cooking. She says that she had one salad that she still dreams about.