Scientology ‘speed running’ trend spreads despite efforts to stop it

Scientology’s “speedrunning” trend isn’t slowing down.

Since the first events in Los Angeles in late March, large groups (some in costume) have attempted to race through church-owned buildings in New York, San Diego, San Francisco and countries outside the United States, even as Scientology advocates, law enforcement and social media platforms tried to stop the viral movement.

At least one person has received a legal threat from the church after an alleged online dare led to a chaotic incident in Los Angeles, according to a legal document reviewed by The Times and confirmed as authentic by a Scientology spokesperson.

Other online creators on TikTok and Instagram say they have had their accounts suspended or been threatened with discipline for posting videos about church and speed runs.

The trend began when groups of teenagers recorded themselves running between properties owned by the Church of Scientology along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In each video, runners weave around church staff and run up the stairs to see how far they can go before someone asks them to leave or threatens to call the police.

“Speedrunning” is a video game term that refers to players attempting to complete games as quickly as possible, running around hazards and using shortcuts to skip levels. One speedrunner told The Times last month that the events were partly a joke, partly a protest against an organization accused of sexual abuse, violating child labor laws and forcing its members to undergo abortions. The church disputes these allegations and denies any wrongdoing.

The largest “speed run” incident in Los Angeles occurred on April 25, when a crowd led by a man dressed as Jesus Christ opened the doors of the church’s Hollywood Warranty Building and rushed inside. The building houses an exhibit on the life of church founder L. Ron Hubbard and is also the listed mailing address for Scientology’s public relations department.

The footage shows masked and costumed runners racing through the building, grappling with black-shirted security guards and knocking down at least one person.

The church called the incidents “hate crimes” and Scientology spokesman David Bloomberg said that at least one member suffered injuries that required medical attention in Los Angeles on April 25. The Los Angeles Police Department’s Major Crimes Division, which investigates hate crimes and attacks on houses of worship, is investigating the incident, according to a department spokesman.

There have been five documented break-ins at Scientology properties in Hollywood this year, but no arrests have been made, according to the spokesperson. Only two appeared to be part of a jogging trend, officials said.

As events slowed down in Los Angeles — in part because the church removed the handles on the exterior gates of its three Hollywood properties — “sprint runs” began to occur in other cities and counties.

Other incidents led to at least three arrests and two minor injuries of Scientology members, authorities said.

San Francisco police say they responded to two separate attempts to break into or vandalize a Scientology property near the city’s Chinatown in recent weeks. Two teenagers were arrested, but it is unclear whether charges were filed. San Diego Police also documented an incident of “vandalism and trespassing” at the church’s downtown property on May 2.

On May 3, a crowd of approximately 300 people described by police as “mostly young people” attempted to enter the Church of Scientology building in downtown Vancouver. Local authorities said some people kicked the door and tried to throw items at the police, but no one was injured. A young man was arrested.

A similar incident occurred in New York on the same day. Police told NBC It was stated that a group of unidentified people broke into the church’s Midtown Manhattan building at around 16:00 on May 3 and caused material damage. Police told the television channel that one person was slightly injured. No arrests were made.

A video published on TikTok it also allegedly showed off a speedrun attempt last week at the L. Ron Hubbard Academy for Personal Independence in Edinburgh, Scotland. Police there did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bloomberg, the Scientology spokesman, declined to comment on specific events outside Los Angeles.

The church and some social media companies have attempted to contain the spread of fast-moving content online.

On April 26, an attorney representing the church sent a letter to the founder of the Dare Market app, accusing the company of “inciting” a speed run in Hollywood the day before. Dare Market founder Isla Rose-Perfito shared a copy of the letter in an email. Release this week on X.

Rose-Perfito said the Dare Market app allows people to challenge each other to complete dares for rewards or money, but discourages users from breaking any laws. On April 24 — the day before the big Hollywood “speed run” led by a man dressed as Jesus — Dare Market released a “Scientology speed run” dare with a $1,000 prize.

The post, which was later deleted, read: “The one who runs inside the longest before being thrown out wins. As you run around the center you have to say ‘Dare Market made me do this’ over and over again.”

According to video of the incident, someone can be heard saying the same sentence shortly after the man dressed as Jesus opened the front door of the Scientology building in Hollywood on April 25.

“Dare Market may be held liable for serious injuries or deaths resulting from its ‘Scientology challenge,'” the letter from attorney Rebecca Nell Kaufman read. This boldness encouraged “hateful, aggressive, and dangerous actions,” Kaufman wrote.

Kaufman also alleged that on April 25, speedrunners hurled racial epithets, including the N-word, at a black security guard. An LAPD spokesperson could not confirm whether this allegation was reported to police.

“Church staff have already been beaten and assaulted as a result of your work,” Kaufman wrote. “It’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured or killed.”

Kaufman, who previously threatened The Times with a lawsuit after a reporter sent questions to Scientology officials as part of a 2024 article, did not respond to a request for comment.

In an interview, Rose-Perfito, 29, argued that her penchant for running fast preceded her daredevil hide and dismissed Scientology’s legal threat.

“We’re definitely not telling people to come in… on their website they say they welcome people with open doors,” he said.

Rose-Perfito claimed Scientology officials called her mother multiple times in the middle of the night after the April 25 sprint. In the videos she shared on X and TikTok, Rose-Perfito plays a voice message from a woman who identifies herself as Bari Berger. According to a church website, Berger is the former director of STAND, Scientology’s anti-discrimination wing. According to her LinkedIn profile, she currently works in the church’s public relations department.

Bloomberg said the calls were made shortly after the April 25 incident “for the purpose of contacting Dare Market and its CEO regarding matters arising directly from these events.”

Other creators said their Scientology-related content has come under increased scrutiny as the speedrunning trend spreads. Derrek Miranda, the man behind the Whitewallstuntz social media accounts, which gained popularity last year documenting Los Angeles’ blight, said his Instagram account was deactivated after he posted video of the speedrun on April 25. A Meta spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Some TikTok users also reported that posts they made about Scientology’s “sprinter” or the church itself have been flagged or removed in recent weeks.

A TikTok spokesperson said the app’s “Community Guidelines expressly prohibit the promotion of violent or criminal behavior, and we are removing this content from our platform.”

Times writer Christopher Buchanan contributed to this report.