Ottawa Race Weekend 2011

The 2011 Ottawa Race Weekend will take place May 28-29, 2011. The Ottawa Race Weekend, Canada's premier running event, combines competition, participation and fundraising to make a distinctive contribution to the health of the community. The Ottawa Marathon and Ottawa 10K are both sanctioned by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF). Last year's event welcomed 39,010 participants in seven races.

This year's route

Ottawa Marathon 2011 Map New westbound route for the 2011 Ottawa Marathon: Directing runners west instead of south will make the course flatter in some areas and could result in faster finish times. More info...

A map showing all course routes for Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10k, 5k, Family 2k and Y Kids Marathon. For more detailed course info, click here...

Schedule & spectator info

Races are scheduled on Saturday and Sunday. The main event -- the full marathon -- starts at 7:00am at the intersection of Elgin and Laurier downtown. The finish line is on Queen Elizabeth Driveway next to the Cartier Drill Hall (near Laurier Avenue). The fastest racers will cross the finish line around 9:00am.
A full schedule of weekend events is available here...
Race Weekend organizers have at least 14 "Registered Cheering Zones" along the route, and are encouraging communities to register for a chance to win a $4,500 bursary. Various community groups will be set up at these official cheering stations, and competing to demonstrate the best spirit and commitment to encouraging the runners. Details are here...
Check out our blog for reader suggestions on the best places to watch the races from.
You can also watch live video of the race.

Road closures

Expect delays around race times at any of the roads near the routes.
Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Laurier Avenue and Somerset will be closed from 8:00 a.m. on Friday, May 27 to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, May 29 inclusive. That includes the Laurier Avenue east off ramp and controlled exit and access to National Arts Centre.
Click here for a full list of road closures...

Race links & info

A brief history

It all started back in 1975, when 146 runners lined up at Carleton University for Ottawa's first marathon. Today, thousands of runners take part in several events, including the marathon, half marathon, 10k, family runs, wheelchair races, and more.
(more event history)

Although now known as the "Ottawa Race Weekend" and the "ING Ottawa Marathon", the event has also been known as the "National Capital Maraton".

Did you know: According to Marathonguide.com, the ING Ottawa Marathon had the highest Canadian percentage of Boston qualifying finishers in 2007 with 22.8%. The site, a key reference for marathoning in North America, says that the courses on its 2007 list “will undoubtedly be among those ranked the fastest of all courses”.