Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend Announces new Torch Relay event for 2013
Community will have opportunity to run with Marathon Flame!
Ottawa, March 26, 2013 – The Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is proud to announce today, through the support of the Greek Embassy, the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS) and the Municipality of Marathon, Greece, the Marathon Flame will be coming to Ottawa for this year’s Race Weekend on May 25-26.
To celebrate its presence, the first ever Ottawa Marathon Torch Relay will be introduced into this year’s event on Thursday, May 23rd.
Mayor Iordanis Louizos of Marathon, Greece will light the torch and pass it to the first of the close to 80 torchbearers who will run from the hamlet of Marathon, Carp to Ottawa City Hall.
In a remarkable coincidence, the Torch Relay route from Marathon to Ottawa City Hall is approximately 42.1km, the distance of an actual marathon.
The route will follow along Carp Road to Carling Avenue, Richmond Road, Wellington Street, Somerset Street and Queen Elizabeth Drive before finishing with the lighting of a ceremonial cauldron by Mayor Watson at Ottawa City Hall. The cauldron will burn throughout the 2013 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
The torchbearers will run approximately a half-kilometer each. Participants will include local dignitaries, media personalities, Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend participants along with local residents interested in the opportunity.
The Marathon Flame is lit every November, one day before the Athens Classic Marathon, during a special ritual in the birthplace of the marathon race. It is a symbol of the Marathon movement and of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). Since 2007, the Flame has travelled to marathon events in Boston, Chicago, Italy, Serbia, China, and Toronto, to name a few.
Win a spot in the Torch Relay – Show us your Pheidippides*!
Starting April 1st, those interested in running a half-kilometre leg in the Torch Relay are invited to enter the “Show us your Pheidippides” photo contest. To enter the contest, candidates simply submit a photo of themselves in the iconic pose of the legendary runner. Randomly selected winners will be announced starting on April 22nd. Contest details are available on www.runottawa.ca.
Quotes
“The Marathon Flame, much like the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend and the Torch Relay, celebrates the spirit of participation and fair play. We are proud to have the Marathon Flame burn at City Hall during the Race Weekend, and excited to see members of our community having the opportunity to participate“ — Mayor Jim Watson
“It’s a privilege for the Ottawa Marathon to be recognized by our Greek and international colleagues as an important contributor to the international Marathon movement. The Torch Relay is a fitting way for us to share this honour with our community of runners. We wish to extend our thanks to his Excellency Ambassador Anghelopoulos and Mayor Louizos for their support.” — John Halvorsen, President and Race Director
*About Pheidippides
Pheidippides is the courier who ran 40km from Marathon to Athens to inform the city of the great battle victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490BC, one of the proudest moments in the history of Greece. The legend of Pheidppides became entrenched when the legendary run was recreated at the first Modern Olympic games in 1896. The next year, in 1897, the Boston Marathon was established.
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). Run Ottawa, the organization behind the Tamarack 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