diff --git a/wgpu/gui/auto.py b/wgpu/gui/auto.py
index a53db5a7..dfb107fd 100644
--- a/wgpu/gui/auto.py
+++ b/wgpu/gui/auto.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 for e.g. wx later. Or we might decide to stick with these three.
 """
 
-__all__ = ["WgpuCanvas", "loop"]
+__all__ = ["WgpuCanvas", "loop", "run"]
 
 import os
 import sys
@@ -189,3 +189,4 @@ def backends_by_trying_in_order():
 # Load!
 module = select_backend()
 WgpuCanvas, loop = module.WgpuCanvas, module.loop
+run = loop.run  # backwards compat
diff --git a/wgpu/gui/glfw.py b/wgpu/gui/glfw.py
index 9e5dc999..6774fc4e 100644
--- a/wgpu/gui/glfw.py
+++ b/wgpu/gui/glfw.py
@@ -548,6 +548,7 @@ def _run(self):
 
 
 loop = GlfwAsyncioWgpuLoop()
+run = loop.run  # backwards compat
 
 
 def poll_glfw_briefly(poll_time=0.1):
diff --git a/wgpu/gui/qt.py b/wgpu/gui/qt.py
index ec225de2..ebf69642 100644
--- a/wgpu/gui/qt.py
+++ b/wgpu/gui/qt.py
@@ -599,3 +599,4 @@ def _wgpu_gui_poll(self):
 
 
 loop = QtWgpuLoop()
+run = loop.run  # backwards compat
diff --git a/wgpu/gui/wx.py b/wgpu/gui/wx.py
index 5a7788b2..0e35c142 100644
--- a/wgpu/gui/wx.py
+++ b/wgpu/gui/wx.py
@@ -568,3 +568,4 @@ def process_wx_events(self):
 
 
 loop = WxWgpuLoop()
+run = loop.run  # backwards compat