2012 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend generated $27.8 million in economic activity
October 16, 2012 – OTTAWA – The 2012 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend generated $27.8 million in
total economic activity and $12.5 million in GDP in the region according to a newly released economic
impact assessment produced by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance.
Conducted on-site during last May’s Race Weekend, the survey found that, of the 42,573 runners who
participated in the two-day event, 44% came from outside the National Capital Region. The average
visitor spent $246, ranging from $48 per person for same-day visitors to $426 for visitors from outside of
Ontario and Quebec.
“These figures validate once again what we’ve always known – that our annual Race Weekend is not just
a popular running destination, but a major economic driver for the region that continues to increase in
value every year,” says Jim Robinson, Race Director and President, Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
A summary of findings of the assessment:
$27.8 million in economic activity
$12.5 million contribution to the GDP
$12.8 million was spent in the region by visitors, event sponsors and race organizers combined.
The event supported $8.0 million in wages and salaries and 191 jobs throughout the province, of
which 144 were attributed to Ottawa, representing $5.3 million of the total.
$5.8 million in federal, provincial and municipal taxes were supported by the event
34,400 participants and spectators came to Race Weekend from out of town
2,500 volunteers helped make the Race Weekend a success.
“The impact of the weekend is not a one-time only occurrence,” says John Halvorsen, Chair, Run Ottawa.
“It is an important economic driver for the region year after year. This is because we consistently deliver
a best-in-class race event that is always well organized. It helps to have a beautiful city as a backdrop for
running, great sponsors, a huge base of committed volunteers, and a great working relationship with the
City of Ottawa,” says Halvorsen.
“The data contained in this report is a compelling reminder of the economic power of sport events such
as the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend,” said Rick Traer, CEO, Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance. “The
event has become a top tourist attraction on the local calendar which attracts tens of thousands of
return visitors to the region each year.”
The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance conducted the analysis on behalf of the organizing committee. To
conduct the assessment, the CSTA used STEAM PRO (Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model –
Professional version), which measures the economic impact of a sport event on a community. A full
copy of the report can be found at www.canadiansporttourism.com.
More than 43,000 runners are expected to take place in the 2013 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend,
which will take place May 25-26, 2013.
About the Tamarack Homes Ottawa Race Weekend
The 2012 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend welcomed more than 42,600 participants in seven races,
including the Marathon, the Half-Marathon, the 10K, HTG Sports 5K, 2K and Y Kids Marathon. The
Ottawa Marathon and Ottawa 10K are both designated Silver Label IAAF events by the International
Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF). Run Ottawa, the organization behind the Ottawa Race Weekend, is
dedicated to promoting the sport of running and enhancing the health and well-being of our community
by organizing distinctive world-class and local races, and managing an active, membership-based
running club. Information: www.runottawa.ca.
About the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance
The Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance is a tourism industry led organization that promotes sport tourism
as an economic development initiative at the community level. The CSTA services over 300 members
across Canada, including 125 municipalities, 150 national and provincial sport, multi-sport and major
games organizations and variety of other sport and tourism industry partners. Sport tourism is the
fastest growing segment of the tourism industry with approximately $3.6 billion in annual spending by
domestic and international visitors.
Information:
Susan Marsh-Marconi
Marketing and Communications Manager
Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend
613-234-2221
media@runottawa.ca
www.runottawa.ca
@ottawamarathon
Rick Traer
Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance
613-688-5843
rtraer@canadiansporttourism.com
www.canadiansporttourism.com