30K expected for Ottawa Race Weekend

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend has arrived – the biggest multi-distance race event in Canada.

There are 30,000 registered participants and 74 registered charities, with a fundraising goal over $1-million.

“It’s great to see the enthusiasm from of all the participants and those who are donating to really contribute to the program,” says race director Ian Fraser.

Race weekend includes six races:

• Tartan Ottawa International Marathon (Sunday)
• Ottawa Half Marathon (Sunday)
• Ottawa 10K (Saturday)
• Ottawa 5K (Saturday)
• Ottawa 2K (Saturday)
• Ottawa Kids Marathon (Saturday)

The weekend also features three multi-event challenges.

All races start at Ottawa City Hall and there are several road closures to be aware of for both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday, May 27:

• Laurier Avenue between Metcalfe and Nicholas 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
• Elgin Street between Catherine and QED 3:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
• Elgin Street southbound between Wellington and Laurier 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Elgin Street northbound, between Laurier and Wellington 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Elgin Street between Lisgar and Gladstone 2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• Elgin Street between Lisgar and Catherine 6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
• Elgin Street between Catherine and QED 3:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• Queen Street between Elgin and Metcalfe 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Frank Street between Elgin and QED 2:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
• O’Connor between Laurier and Wellington 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Wellington between Bank and MacKenzie/Colonel By Drive eastbound 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Lakeside 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Bronson southbound between Lakeside and Col. By 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. (lane reductions)
• Colonel By Drive between Daly and Hawthorne 2:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Colonel By Drive between Hawthorne and Bronson 3 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• Hawthorne between Colonel By Drive and Main 3 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
• Pretoria Bridge 3:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
• Queen Elizabeth Drive between Somerset and Elgin 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
• Queen Elizabeth Drive between Elgin and Preston 3 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

You can also click here to view a details map.

Sunday, May 28:

• Laurier Avenue between Elgin and Metcalfe 5 a.m. – 10 a.m.
• Laurier Avenue between Nicholas and Elgin 5 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Queen Elizabeth Drive between Preston and Elgin 6 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
• Queen Elizabeth Drive between Lawrence Frieman and Laurier 5 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Queen Elizabeth Drive between Elgin and Somerset W. 6 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Elgin n/b between Lisgar and Slater 5 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Elgin n/b between Slater and Wellington 6:45 am – 7:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Wellington e/b between Elgin and Booth 8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
• Wellington Street eastbound between Elgin and Col. By 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Wellington Street westbound between Portage Bridge and Booth 6:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Portage Bridge 8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Rideau westbound between Sussex and Mackenzie 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Preston between Q.E. Driveway and Carling 6:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. (northbound lanes)
• Carling westbound between Preston and Sherwood 6:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
• Carling eastbound at Preston 6:45 a.m. – 9 a.m.
• Sherwood Drive between Carling and Fairmont 6:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
• Fairmont Avenue between Sherwood and Wellington 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Wellington St. between Fairmont and Bayswater/Bayview 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Somerset Between Bayswater and Preston 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Preston between Somerset and Albert 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Elm between Preston and Booth 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Booth between Somerset and Wellington (lane reductions) 6:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
• Sir John A Macdonald Parkway between Booth and Island Park 6:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
• Champlain Bridge n/b between Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway and Lucerne 6:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
• Lucerne e/b between Champlain bridge and Belleau 6:30 a.m. – 11:3.0 a.m.
• Belleau between Lucerne and Lanaudiere  6:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• UQO Parking Lots 6:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Alexandre-Taché between St. Joseph and Boucherville 6:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• Scott between Alexandre-Taché and Graham 6:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• Lac des Fées between Graham and Gamelin 6:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
• St Jean Bosco between Lac des Fées and Lois 6:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
• Lois between St. Jean Bosco and Montcalm 7 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Montcalm southbound lanes between St. Joseph and Papineau 7 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Montcalm between Papineau and Wellington 7 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
• Wellington between Montcalm and Eddy 7 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
• Promenade du Portage between Eddy and Hôtel de Ville 7 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
• Hôtel de Ville between Promenade du Portage and Laurier 7 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
• Laurier between Hotel de Ville and des Allumettières 7 a.m.- 1:15 p.m.
• Alexandra Bridge 6:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• St Patrick between Parent and Sussex 6 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Sussex Drive between Rideau and George Étienne Cartier Parkway 6 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
• George Étienne Cartier Parkway between Princess and Aviation Parkway 6:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Princess between Sussex Drive and Lisgar Road 6:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Lisgar Road between Princess and George Etienne Cartier Parkway 6:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Birch between Sandridge and Hemlock 6:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
• Sandridge between Birch and St. Laurent Blvd. 6:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• St. Laurent southbound between Sandridge and Arundel 6:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Arundel between St Laurent and Braemar 6:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Braemar closed between Arundel and Eastbourne 6:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Eastbourne closed between Braemar and Birch 6:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Birch between Eastbourne and Hemlock 6:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Hemlock westbound between St Laurent and Lansdowne 6:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Beechwood westbound between Lansdowne and McKay 6:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
• MacKay northbound between Beechwood and Sussex 6:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. (one lane)
• Colonel By Drive from Rideau to Pretoria Bridge 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Pretoria Bridge 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Click here to view a detailed map.

Also, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe will be taking part in the full marathon Sunday, the first time in race weekend history an active mayor has done that.

In 2022, runners and walkers in the event raised a record-breaking $1,067,612.00 for local and national charities through the Desjardins Charity Challenge.