Why Are People Speedrunning Through Scientology Centers? The Viral 'Scientology Run' Trend And Memes Explained

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There are a lot of dedicated Scientology critics out there, and now, some of the organization's biggest haters are trying to figure out what exactly is going on in those Scientology buildings.

They're doing this by going on Scientology runs, a viral trend that's all about breaking past security and speedrunning as far into a Scientology center as possible without getting caught.

But how did the trend begin, what do people think of it and is it doing the anti-Scientology movement any good? Here's what we know.

@5.0arrodo Should I go back and infiltrate upstairs? #scientology #hollywood #la #cult #skateboarding ♬ original sound – 5.0arrodo

What Is A 'Scientology Run?'

The first known Scientology run was posted online by TikToker @5.0arrodo at the end of March 2026.

In the video, captioned, "Maniac 16 year old infiltrates the Church of Scientology," a teenager runs past security and into the Scientology center in Hollywood, California. He makes it past several people and down a flight of stairs before leaving.

The video gained millions of views and soon inspired others, most notably TikToker @swhileyy, to try the challenge for themselves. Videos of people doing the speedruns were reposted to sites like X throughout April 2026, causing the challenge to go viral.

@swhileyy No one has made it farther than these kids 🙏🏼 #scientology #viral #shannon ♬ original sound – Jayden

Many social media users find the videos funny and the challenge admirable, especially those who are against the church of Scientology, its practices, and what it stands for.

Others, however, are critical of the challenge. One X user made a post suggesting that Scientology runs don't actually help anything, writing, "This plays right into Scientology indoctrination that the outside world is a violent place that wishes to disrupt the dissemination of Scientology."

They continued, "It does nothing to stop the dissemination of Scientology and nothing to stop the abuses of Scientology. In fact, it helps keep them going."

Still, others believe that anything that involves messing with Scientologists is a win, making opinions mixed at best. Meanwhile, others are joking about the things you might find in the building if you go deep enough, including a Tom Cruise boss battle, due to Tom Cruise being a Scientologist.