Former champions and course record holders return to Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon

May 26-27, 2018 is Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend as well as the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon. The weekend features a kids marathon, 2K, 5K, 10K as well as the half and full marathons. Race Weekend in Ottawa is a city wide celebration of running.

Confirmed for the marathon this year, are course record holders Yemane Tsegay and Tigist Tufa. The Ethiopian runners will return to defend their course records of 2:06:54 and 2:24:31 respectively.

Joining Tufa in the women’s field is U.S. Marathon champion Sara Hall. Hall has improved in nearly every marathon she has run over the past year, placing sixth at Tokyo in 2017 before winning the U.S. Championships later that year. Hall was second three weeks ago at the U.S. Half-Marathon Championships. 

Tristan Woodfine of Cobden, Ont. is also running the marathon. Woodfine is coming off a win at the Banque Scotia 21K de Montreal last month. Ottawa is just one hour east of Woodfine’s hometown, which presents a nice opportunity for friends and family to see him run. 

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Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is also home to the only IAAF Gold Label 10K in Canada, which serves as the Canadian 10K Championships. The race attracts a strong contingent of elite runners as well as thousands of participants from the National Capital Region. The race boasts a strong Canadian contingent including Natasha Wodak, Canadian 10,000m record holder. Wodak ran well a few weeks ago to win the BMO Vancouver half-marathon. Rachel Cliff is also entered in the event, and having an amazing season. Cliff is coming off a 5,000 PB of 15:20.66 at the USATF Distance Classic last weekend that brought her to a second-place finish behind American, Lauren Paquette. 

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Ottawa Race Weekend truly provides fun for the whole family. Last year, Run Ottawa partnered with local beer company Kichesippi Beer. The company will provide drink tickets to all finishers of the 10K, half and full marathons – so if you have a minor running with you, you get two. The Scotiabank Ottawa Kids Marathon will run this year before the start of the half-marathon. The Kids Marathon is the culmination of a 14-week physical activity program for children ages six-twelve. The race goes Sunday morning at 8 a.m EDT in between the start of the marathon at 7 a.m and the half-marathon at 9 a.m.

With beautiful courses that run along the Ottawa River, over to the Quebec side, around historic Rockcliffe, and finish along the Rideau Canal, Ottawa race weekend is fun for spectators and racers alike. 

Can’t make it to Ottawa to watch? Both the 10K and marathon are broadcasted live online and locally on Rogers-TV channel 22.