Our Story

Run Ottawa is the National Capital Region’s premiere running organization and the organizers of Canada’s most popular multi-day running event, the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. The flagship event of the weekend is the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon.

Originally known as the National Capital Marathon, Run Ottawa adopted its current name in 2009 to better represent the organization’s broader focus, both at its flagship weekend event and throughout the year.

In 2009, Run Ottawa also became the home of the respected local running club the National Capital Runners Association. Today runners from across the region can join Run Ottawa for a small annual fee and take advantage of a range of benefits, from free coaching to discounts on entry fees.

Anchoring the growth of Run Ottawa is a dedicated leadership team with an incredible depth of racing experience. In 2013, John Halvorsen, a two-time Olympian and holder of the Ottawa 10K record for over 20 years, became President of Run Ottawa, taking over from 17-year veteran Jim Robinson. Supporting John is a small full-time staff and an elected volunteer board that together represent more than one hundred years of expertise in all aspects of race operations.

Looking forward, Run Ottawa is committed to providing Canada’s best running experience at the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend and to growing the sport of running in the National Capital Region by organizing high-calibre events which provide opportunities for the community and all levels of runners to participate.