Adaptive Athlete Program

The organizers of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend are committed to breaking down the barriers between people with disabilities and able-bodied participants by offering races that are fun, safe and inclusive for everyone.

To accomplish this goal, the organizers strive to offer the same level of access to opportunities and activities, so athletes, both able-bodied and disabled, can accomplish their goals and achieve their full potential.

Visual Impairment

We encourage runners and walkers who are blind or visually impaired to register online for any event at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. There will be an opportunity to indicate your adaptive athlete status and how many guides you require to accompany you on the race course. Guide runners may participate along with blind and visually impaired athletes at no additional cost. All athletes will receive an email after they register which will include a promo code for their guide runners to register for free. If you have any questions please contact questions@runottawa.ca.

There is a visually impaired prize category in the Ottawa 10K. This opportunity is available to participants who are legally blind, and is championed by Achilles Ottawa, a running club created as a community of support for blind and visually impaired runners and guides in the city. For more information please contact achillesottawa@gmail.com.

Autonomous Athlete with Assistance

A participant with a physical or intellectual disability may be accompanied by a support runner who can assist them during the event (provide directions, help at the aid stations, etc.). Support runners will be provided complimentary registrations, however, support runner bibs will not have timing chips.

All athletes will receive an email after they register which will include a promo code for their support runners to register for free. If you have any questions please contact questions@runottawa.ca.

Recreational Wheelchair Athletes

The race weekend is open to all recreational wheelchair participants. Recreational Wheelchair participants will start in the Red Corral of each event or possibly in an earlier corral depending on participants’ planned pace.

For the safety of all participants, wheelchair participants must follow the rules and regulations that apply to other participants and should follow accepted runners’ etiquette in sharing the road. 

Motorized wheelchairs are permitted as long as they are used at a pace safe for other participants. Motorized wheelchairs are placed in later corrals (X, Y, Z). They are not permitted in early starting corrals (corrals A, B, C). All wheelchair participants are strongly encouraged to wear a helmet. Wheelchair participants must also ensure that their wheelchair is in good condition and can be controlled on any incline or decline that may be encountered on the course

Recreational Wheelchair participants use the same online registration system as other participants and are encouraged to use the medical information section to provide any critical medical information to officials. Recreational Wheelchair participants should choose the Recreational Wheelchair Athlete category under the Adaptive Athlete Program section.