Sold out! Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 10K and half-marathon sell out in record time
Social media buzz and popularity of running contribute to early sell-out January 21, 2013 – OTTAWA – For three years running, records for early registration have fallen in the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend’s most popular race events.
On Saturday, the last of the much-coveted 10,000 Ottawa 10K spots were sold – almost two months earlier than last year. On January 9, the 11,800 spots in the Ottawa Half-Marathon sold out one full month earlier than in 2012.
“We’re selling out earlier every year because the Race Weekend has built a solid reputation as a well-organized, fun-filled exciting running event,” says Jim Robinson, Race Director and President, Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. “These early sell-outs are also a perfect example of the era of fitness we live in. Running has never been more popular than it is today.”
Organizers also attribute the early sell outs to the broader reach achieved via social media. “There’s a direct link between spikes in registrations and announcements we make on Facebook and Twitter,” said Susan Marsh-Marconi, Marketing Manager, Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. “These direct channels to our participants have changed our relationship with our community of runners; it’s made it more immediate and interactive.”
With 17 weeks to go before the May 25-26, 2013 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, registration in other races are filling quickly. The 5,500 limit in the marathon field is 74% sold, and registrations for the 5K and Family 2K are at 50% and 46% respectively. The 2,000 Y Kids Marathon spots are also selling quickly.
Previous sell out dates
Ottawa Half-Marathon
- 2012 sell out: February 16, 2012
- 2011 sell out: March 4, 2011
Ottawa 10K
- 2012 sell out: February 29, 2012
- 2011 sell out: March 15, 2011
About the Tamarack 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). An economic impact assessment produced by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance in 2012 estimated that the event generated $27.8 million in total economic activity for the region. 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.
Information:
Annie Boucher
Media relations
Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend
613-863-3702
boucher@fusecommunications.ca
@runfuse | @ottawamarathon