About

Run It Straight, also known as the Run It Straight Challenge, refers to a TikTok challenge, popularized by rugby and American football influencers, which involves two people running straight at each other to see who gets knocked down. The trend started as early as 2018 and amassed criticism and backlash over the following years, notably after a New Zealand man died from the Run It Straight Challenge in May 2025.

Origin

"Run it straight" is a term used in rugby, which is often shouted out as a command during games when a person is sprinting towards a player with the goal of knocking them down or countering a tackle with more force.

The term was added to Urban Dictionary ^[1] on September 4th, 2010, defined as:

When someone has a rugby ball or other rugby ball like object and sprints into another individual who yells out "Run it straight!" Sometimes the individual who yells out "Run it straight!" will get rolled or put a big hit on.

The so-called "Run It Straight Challenge" was originally a drill in rugby practice and a game at rugby events. One of the earliest videos of a Run It Straight Challenge was posted by YouTuber^[2] Rugby Live on January 9th, 2018, gaining over 22,600 views in seven years (shown below).

Spread

By mid-2018, multiple Run It Straight videos had surfaced on social media. On May 9th, 2018, YouTuber^[3] Rugby Zone shared a "best of" compilation, receiving over 431,600 views in seven years (shown below).

On TikTok

The Run It Straight Challenge went viral on TikTok in the early 2020s. For instance, on April 10th, 2023, TikToker^[4] @zakuryyy posted a "Part 2" of a Run It Straight series, gaining over 761,300 likes in two years (shown below).

The trend notably spread on TikTok in 2025, evident in a video posted by TikToker^[5] @burna_hiitfitness on March 19th, which was a compilation of clips of one rugby player winning multiple matches, gaining over 15,500 likes in two months (shown below).

On May 2nd, 2025, TikToker^[6] @torrelltafa posted a POV skit about being forced to do the Run It Straight Challenge, receiving over 152,900 likes in three weeks (shown below).

Death Of New Zealand Teenager Ryan Satterthwaite

On May 26th, 2025, 19-year-old New Zealander Ryan Satterthwaite passed away from a serious head injury after participating in the Run It Straight Challenge, according to the Telegraph.^[7]

Also on May 26th, TikToker^[8] @itvtherundown shared a video about Satterthwaite's passing, receiving over 39,400 likes in two days (shown below).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References