Annual Canada Army Run supports our Armed Forces

The ninth annual Canada Army Run is set to take place this Sunday, September 18th in our nation’s capital.

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The event offers two ever-popular distances–a half-marathon and 5K–each which usually sell out well in advance. The event has grown to now include over 20,000 participants who take part annually.

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The half-marathon course is particularly special and highlights some of Ottawa’s notable and historic landmarks and locations. These include the Canadian War Museum, the Canadian Museum of History and the National Gallery of Canada. In addition to passing by Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court of Canada, participants also run by 24 Sussex and pass right through Rideau Hall–the official residences of our Prime Minister and Governor General, respectively.

The mostly flat 5K passes by Parliament before an out-and-back section along the Rideau Canal before finishing near City Hall.

New to 2016, the Commander’s Challenge is a unique opportunity to race both distances in the same day. Those registered in this combined event run the 5K first–it starts at 8 a.m.–and finish in time to start the half-marathon at 9:30 a.m. As a reward for their efforts, Commander’s Challenge participants will receive a unique race bib, tech tee and finisher’s coin. This event was limited to 2,000 participants and sold out almost instantly.

In addition to the races themselves, participants enjoy a sports expo, military equipment displays, a pasta dinner served military kitchen style, entertainment all weekend long and dog tag finisher’s medals.

Participants can also download (for free) the Canada Army Run app from iTunes and Google Play. The app provides a full weekend schedule of events, course maps and route info as well as special promotions. Best of all, it allows for live participant tracking in real-time.