RUNIT: A historical perspective from Stephen Casper, PhD
The Perfect Brain Injury Delivery Systems: From so-called "Dwarf Tossing" to Run It Straight
This post was authored by Stephen Casper, PhD, a leading medical historian of traumatic brain injury and Concussion Alliance Expert Advisory Board member. Please see our article about the controversy concerning RUNIT in our 5/29/25 Concussion Update Newsletter.
Throughout history, people have often turned violence into entertainment. One shocking example is the so-called "Dwarf Tossing" that was popular in some places during the 1980s and 1990s. In this event, little people were thrown by others to see who could throw them the farthest. Some people said it was fun and that the participants were choosing to be part of it. But many others correctly saw it as dangerous and harmful, both physically and emotionally.
Today, we see the same problem with the RunIt competitive event and "Run It Straight" social media challenge. In this activity, two people run at each other as fast as they can, trying to knock each other down. It’s all about who can hit the hardest or stay standing. People are filming it, posting it online, and calling it entertainment. But what they are really doing is turning the risk of brain injury into a show for everyone else to watch.
Both Dwarf Tossing and Run It Straight show us what I call "perfect brain injury delivery systems." These sports take real risk and real harm and turn them into perfect packages of entertainment. They do this with an efficiency that makes it easy to forget how dangerous they really are.
People who take part in these sports might think they are in control of the risks, but brain injuries can happen fast and change a person’s life forever. These injuries can cause immediate death or lead to lifelong disabilities that affect every part of a person’s life. Many people who get hurt by perfect brain injury delivery systems say they had no idea how bad it could be until it was too late.
It’s important to remember that just because someone says they are free to choose these activities, it doesn’t mean the choice is truly safe or fair. Sometimes people feel forced to take part because of money, fame, or pressure from others. But the cost of these sports is often paid by the people who get hurt, not by the people who watch the videos online.
When we talk about freedom and choice, we should also talk about the hidden dangers. Let’s work together to raise awareness and stand against perfect brain injury delivery systems. Nobody wants perfect brain injury delivery systems. Nobody.
