Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend welcomes over 36,500 runners and global recognition

Ranked Among the World’s Top 20 Marathons for Economic Impact, Canada’s Largest Race Weekend Returns with Sold-Out Events, Elite Athletes, and a Festival Atmosphere

May 21, 2025 (Ottawa, ON) — Get ready to welcome more than 36,500 participants over two action-packed days! With sellouts and new courses in the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon, Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins, and recently sold out Ottawa Kids Marathon, registration is still available for the 2K, 5K, and Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa. 

This participation underscores the event’s prestige, as Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend was recently ranked 18th among the world’s top 50 marathons for its economic impact on the cities it serves.

The Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend’s Running & Fitness Expo, May 22-24, is back and bigger than ever! Free and open to the public, this vibrant three-day event will feature more than 35 exhibitors showcasing the latest in wellness, sports gear, nutrition, and more.

Located at the Carleton University Fieldhouse, 1125 Colonel By Drive, the Expo is also the official bib pickup and in-person registration point for all participants:

  • Thursday, May 22, 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
  • Friday, May 24, from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
  • Saturday, May 25, from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Media Launch and Elite Conference

Hosted by Arash Madani, all media is invited to attend the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend Media Launch and Elite Conference on Friday, May 23, 2025, 10 a.m. on the main stage at the Running and Fitness Expo, at the Carleton University Fieldhouse. 

Tartan Ottawa International Marathon panel:

  • Rory Linkletter
  • CJ Albertson
  • Albert Korir
  • Mercy Chelangat

Canadian 10K Championship panel:

  • Natasha Wodak
  • Malindi Elmore 
  • Cam Levins

If you require accreditation for the weekend, please fill out this form.

Who, when, and where to watch

2025 Canadian 10K Championships

On Saturday, May 24, 6:15 pm, the Athletics Canada Canadian 10K Championships welcomes Canada’s most distinguished athletes including Cam Levins; 3x Canadian 10K Champion and Canadian record holder in the marathon, Natasha Wodak; and Malindi Elmore, three-time Olympian and defending Canadian 10K Champion. 

See the full Athletics Canada Canadian 10K Championships start list

Watch it LIVE on Run Ottawa’s youtube channel starting at 6:00 pm. 

The 51st edition of the World Athletics Label Tartan Ottawa International Marathon 

Sunday, May 25 will see the deepest field in the marathon since 2018. It’s setting up to be an incredible race featuring Canada’s Rory Linkletter, Kenya’s Albert Korir, and CJ Albertson from California, USA

See the full World Athletics Label Tartan Ottawa International Marathon start list

Watch it LIVE on Run Ottawa’s youtube channel and starting at 6:50 am. 

Road closures: Getting around the National Capital Region

On Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25, several road closures will be in effect. The organizers of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 2025 and the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Police Service, Ville de Gatineau, and Service de police de la Ville de Gatineau work together to minimize road closures, and keep traffic moving. 

Please see www.runottawa.ca/roadclosures for road closures and exit strategy details.  

2025 Startline Announcers

Participants and spectators are in good hands with returning Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend announcer, Alain Cyr. An iconic figure in communications in Quebec, Cyr is an experienced bilingual sport announcer and a familiar face at the startline. 

On Saturday May 24, Cyr will share host duties with:

2:00 p.m. Ottawa Kids Marathon – Katherine Dines (MOVE 100) 

3:00 p.m. Ottawa 2K – Jeff Hopper (MOVE 100) 

4:00 p.m. Ottawa 5K – Sophie Moroz (MOVE 100) 

6:15 pm Elite women’s 10K – Tanaeya Taylor (PURE 94)

6:30 p.m. Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa – Tanaeya Taylor (PURE 94)

And on Sunday, May 25, Cyr’s co-hosts will be:

7:00 a.m. Tartan Ottawa International Marathon –  Austin Lee (CTV Ottawa)

9:00 a.m.  Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins  – Rosey Edeh (CTV Morning Live)

Participant highlights

  • Stéphane Fournier, Registered Kinesiologist at Neurogym Rehabilitation Inc., is redefining what it means to go the distance. Fournier is running the 17K Challenge at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend on May 24 but he’s not doing it alone. He will run the 2K, 5K, and 10K pushing three individual clients with mobility challenges in a Kartus – an innovative adaptive wheelchair that enables an inclusive running experience.
  • Kristy Goss, a living kidney donor, will be running alongside Katie Skidmore, a kidney recipient, who is making her return to running  in the Ottawa 5K after acute kidney failure. Both are fundraising for the Kidney Foundation.
  • In 2023, Hannah Manning was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer at just 32 years old. Manning hopes to raise awareness about early detection and cancer research. She’ll be participating in the 17 km Challenge with the goal of raising $1,700 for the Ottawa Hospital Foundation. Read more about her journey here.
  • After 30 years at Ashbury College, 2025 will be Michelle Holman’s final year as teacher and organizer of Team Ashbury, the 450-member fundraising team for Cancer Care at the Ottawa Hospital. Discover the impact of youth in action here.

Over 80 local and national charities are taking part in the Desjardins Charity Challenge this year. For the first time in its history, the charity boasts three local Indigenous charities, Indigenous Friends Association, Wabano Centre for Indigenous Health, and Indspire.
See the complete list here. 

Please contact Karie.Ford@RunOttawa.ca for contact information and other potential stories.

Bring on the cheer, thanks to Kal Tire!

The public is encouraged to visit their nearest Kal Tire Cheer Station to pick up an official cowbell and help bring the energy to the course! This year, 27 Kal Tire Cheer Stations will line the routes of the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon and Ottawa Half Marathon, presented by Desjardins—offering countless opportunities to support runners and be part of the excitement.

See the Kal Tire Cheer Station map here 

A special race weekend beer from Beyond the Pale Brewing Company

Run Ottawa welcomes Beyond the Pale Brewing Company as the Official Beer Partner of the 2025 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. 

Located in Marion Dewar Plaza—also known as Festival Plaza—the Beyond the Pale Beer Garden will provide participants with a vibrant space to celebrate their race-day accomplishments, offering a selection of locally brewed craft beers as well as a special race weekend beer – the Last Mile Lager, soda, and a DJ throughout the two-day race weekend. 

Read more on all Festival Plaza activities

1,800 participants in the Ottawa Kids Marathon 

The excitement begins on Saturday, May 24 at 2:00 p.m., as more than 1,800 young runners take part in the Ottawa Kids Marathon, officially kicking off the weekend’s events. But before the kids hit the course, the fun starts with a 100m dash featuring six spirited local mascots! Cheering from the sidelines—and racing to the finish—will be Lulu (Farm Boy), Misquah Moose (Camp Misquah), Cappy (Ottawa Titans), Big Joe (Ottawa Redblacks), Riley (Ottawa 67s), and OC Owl (OC Transpo).

Leading up to the weekend, 1,100 kids participated in a Kids Run Ottawa School Program, running 41 kilometres in advance of Saturday’s sold out event..

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is Canada’s most popular race weekend and will run on May 24-25, 2025. You can learn more by visiting runottawa.ca.

Media relations contact:

Lisa Georges
media@runottawa.ca

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 2023, runners and walkers in the event raised a record-breaking $1,126,273.66. 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.

For more information or to register: www.runottawa.ca.