Many visitors to Ottawa are struck by how much Canada’s capital city can feel like a small town.
With quiet streets, lots of beautiful green space and residents with their typical Canadian politeness on full display, Ottawa can feel like a city that’s closer to 10,000 inhabitants, rather than the 1,000,000 who call it home.
So it’s exciting to watch this big small town transform every May as it welcomes 50,000 runners and hundreds of thousands of spectators for Canada’s biggest running party: The Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
It may feel like a small town, but make no mistake, this is a big city race.
Featuring a lineup of six amazing events, including an IAAF Silver Label Marathon and IAAF Gold Label 10K, as well as Canada’s largest running expo, it’s a weekend with something for everyone.
The premiere event of the weekend is the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon, Canada’s biggest and fastest race, and its largest Boston qualifier.
The race regularly draws in many of the world’s elite runners, like men’s marathon winner Yemane Tsegay of Ethiopia who set a course and Canadian soil record with a time of 2:06:54 in 2014.
With a fast, flat course that takes you by historic landmarks and through two provinces (Ontario and Quebec), it offers up the perfect chance to set a new personal best.
If you would like to extend your trip across the pond after the race, Ottawa is also centrally located, allowing for easy travel to Montreal, Toronto, New York and Boston.
Mark May 28-29, 2016 on your calendar as the date to #LoveEveryMoment your small-town, big-city Canadian running adventure.
For more information and online registration, visit the Run Ottawa website.
