Run Ottawa and Desjardins announce the winners of the 2024 Desjardins Charity Challenge

September 4, Ottawa, ON—The 2024 Desjardins Charity Challenge enabled participants in Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend to support local and national charities by raising funds while covering impressive distances. This year, a record 100 charities joined the challenge, up from 75 charities in 2023.

Man Up To Cancer, winners of Top Desjardins Charity Challenge Fundraising Team $5000-$10,000 Category

In addition, a record number of runners, walkers, and adaptive athletes participated in the 2024 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend Desjardins Charity Challenge. Over 1,426 participants and 377 teams raised a total of $1,132,150.21 for local and national charity initiatives through their fundraising efforts and the support of their donors. Since its inception in 2015, the Charity Challenge has raised over $8.6 million for communities in need in the National Capital Region. 

Funds raised in 2024 helped the following participating charities to win one of nine cash prizes presented by Desjardins, totaling over $24,000:

 

Charity with the Largest Total Raised:

1st prize, $4,250: Perley Health Foundation 

2nd prize, $2,500: CHEO Foundation

3rd prize, $1,500: University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation

 

Charity with the Largest Number of Fundraisers:

1st prize, $4,250: Ottawa Hospital Foundation

2nd prize, $2,500: Canadian Cancer Society

3rd prize, $1,500: Doctors without Borders

 

Team Challenge: Charity with the Highest Average Dollar Raised per Team:

1st prize, $4,250: Playful Mindset

2nd prize, $2,500: Great Canadian Theatre Company

3rd prize, $1,500: Ovarian Cancer Canada

This year, individual fundraisers and fundraisers teams also had the opportunity to win random draw prizes in fundraising categories. Congratulations to the following winners:

Individual fundraiser: raised $20,000 +

Michael O’Brien

Prize: Hyperice Normatec 3 Legs provided by 360 Athletics

Individual fundraiser: raised between $10,000-$20,000

Andrew Frank

Prize: One night stay at Ottawa Marriott Hotel

Individual fundraiser: raised between $5000-$10,000

Euan Swan

Prize: Recovery Yoga Mat and Hypersphere Go provided by 360 Athletics

Fundraising Team: raised between $20,000 +

The Uteracers

Prize: Dominos Pizza for a year, plus personalized ASICS shirts for everyone on the team

Fundraising Team: raised between $10,000-$20,000

L’Arche Ottawa

Prize: A Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 50th anniversary running cap, plus personalized ASICS shirts for everyone on the team

Fundraising Team: raised between $5000-$10,000

Man Up to Cancer

Prize: Marsquest Sunglasses for everyone on the team

Thank you to Desjardins Ontario Credit Union for their generous support of the Charity Challenge. Registration for the 2025 Desjardins Charity Challenge at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is open now—start fundraising today and make a positive impact in the lives of the people and animals in your community.


About Desjardins Ontario Credit Union

Desjardins Ontario Credit Union is part of Canada’s largest cooperative financial group and has been doing business in Ontario for over 100 years. Desjardins Ontario Credit Union provides a full range of banking services for everyone and every need. Thanks to its cooperative nature and financial strength, it shares a portion of its surplus earnings with its members. In 2024, the credit union awarded $14.4 million in community and individual member dividends and contributions to hundreds of projects in Ontario.  


About Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is Canada’s largest running and walking festival with six races, including the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon, Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins, Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa, Ottawa 5K and 2K presented by Runkeeper, and Ottawa Kids Marathon, as well as three multi-event challenges. In 2024, runners and walkers in the event raised $1,132,150.21 for local and national charities through the Desjardins Charity Challenge.

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is the only running event in Canada to host a World Athletics Elite label marathon and is host to Athletics Canada’s Canadian 10K Championships. The weekend was named Event of the Year at the 2019 Canadian Tourism Awards. In 2020, its title sponsor Tamarack Homes won Sport Tourism Canada’s Canadian Sport Event Sponsorship Initiative of the Year Award.

Media relations contact:
Lisa Georges
lisa.georges@runottawa.ca