The Desjardins Charity Challenge

Every step helps your community.

Participants of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 2025 will take to the streets, paths, trails, and treadmills to participate in Canada’s largest hybrid (live and virtual) running event! In 2024, participants raised over $1 million for local charities! 

It has been a few difficult years for many, including the frontline organizations and charities in our community and they need your support now more than ever. The Desjardins Charity Challenge is a way for YOU to help them. This program unites the spirit of runners and walkers with a fundraising platform, in order to raise funds for their charities of choice which enables charities to support and develop much-needed programs in order to help hundreds of thousands of people (and animals!) in need.

Each dollar raised will help the official charity of your choice to win one of nine cash prizes totaling $24,750! Among official charities, Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend will award nine cash prizes to those who stand out in the following categories:

1. Official Charity with the largest total dollars raised

Eligibility: Cumulative total of all online and verified offline donations to Fundraising Runners, Fundraising Teams, and your Charity directly.

1st place – $4,250
2nd place – $2,500
3rd place – $1,50

2. Official Charity with the largest number of Fundraising Runners

Eligibility: Charities must have a minimum of 10 Fundraising Runners registered. Fundraising Runners can be registered in any combination of running events. For this prize category, only donations made directly to an individual who raises a minimum of $50 (online or verified offline) will be included in this calculation.

1st place – $4,250
2nd place – $2,500
3rd place – $1,500

3. Official Charity with the largest average dollars raised per Fundraising Team

Eligibility: Your charity team must have a minimum of 6 Fundraising Runners registered. The average dollars raised will be calculated based on team totals only. For this prize category, only donations made directly to a team or an individual within a team will be included in the calculation. Donations made directly to your charity will not be included in the calculation.

1st place – $4,250
2nd place – $2,500
3rd place – $1,500

We hope you’ll consider participating in 2025!

Become a Desjardins Charity Challenge Participant
Become an official Desjardins Charity Challenge charity
Donate to a charity