Ottawa Marathon
The Ottawa Marathon shares the spotlight with the week-
end ’s many other race distances, and benefits greatly from
it. The Ottawa 10k national championship takes place the
night before the marathon, and this year fielded nearly 7,000
runners. The next morning, a legion of sore racers line up on
the streets and, with the help of local community members,
cheer on 3,500 marathoners. Combine those fans with others
there to watch the half-marathoners and it creates a sea of
cheering spectators like none other in Canada.
Race director John Halvorsen has found the formula to lure
in large crowds every year: “Our reputation is very strong and
attracts runners from everywhere. It also gets runners to come
back.” Superior organization is a big part of why the Ottawa
Marathon Weekend has developed such a great reputation.
“We are non-profit,” says Halvorsen says, “so the money we
make, we put it right back into the race. What people expect is
a world-class event. We have a perfectly measured and on-time
race – it’s one of only two iaaf Gold Label marathons in Canada.”
The course itself, mostly f lat with a few rolling hills, takes
runners through Ottawa’s downtown, with the Parliament
buildings, Bywater Market and Rideau Canal within sight but
also through rural neighbourhoods, where runners can usually
get their hands on a few glasses of homemade lemonade.
The capital ’s blend of tourist appeal, excellence in organiza-
tion and proud hospitality has made the Ottawa Marathon a
staple on the running circuit for both Canadians and tourists.
“When you come here on Race Weekend,” Halvorsen says, “you
feel like a king, no matter where you’re from. The race is so big
that the city knows why you’re here. The atmosphere it creates
is a big part of why we keep having the number of runners we do.”runningmagazine.ca Canadian Running 53