Are Scientology ‘speed runs’ happening in Tampa Bay?
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For the past several weeks, young people have been running through Church of Scientology buildings. They’re often clad in masks and costumes and film themselves trying to get as far into the building as possible — all to the chagrin of bewildered church staff.
The trend gained popularity after a teenager, who uses the social media username Swhileyy, posted a video of himself running through a church building in Los Angeles earlier this spring.
Since then, people have emulated his efforts. The trend has spread outside of Los Angeles, to San Francisco, New York and internationally. The videos of “speed running,” posted to Instagram and TikTok, are getting millions of views online.
Here’s what’s happened so far and whether it’s taken place in Tampa Bay.
What has happened during speed runs so far?
On April 25, dozens of people ran into Scientology buildings on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. The church qualified the run as a “large-scale incident,” and afterward, it removed doorhandles and tightened entry to the public at one of its buildings. The runners knocked down church staff, the church said in a statement to NBC News.
A man dressed up as Jesus Christ led the charge.
And earlier this month, a group of people in New York broke into a locked church. In a statement to The Guardian, the church said the group injured a staff member and damaged property. The church also alleged a staff member was called a racial slur.
Similar incidents have happened in Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
There have been legal repercussions for the runs. The New York Times reported authorities arrested two teenagers in Sydney after they ran through a church. The Times also reported that in Seattle, three teenagers were detained after breaking into a church and turning off the electricity and are facing charges of hate crimes.
The Los Angeles Times reported the church has threatened at least one person legally.
Is it happening in Tampa Bay?
The Church of Scientology has international spiritual headquarters in Clearwater. It also has a church in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood.
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Content retrieved from: https://www.tampabay.com/news/clearwater/2026/05/14/scientology-speed-run-tiktok-instagram/.
