Ottawa Race Weekend registration opens

Canada’s largest running event, the Ottawa Race Weekend, opened registration Tuesday morning for all 2016 races.

The Ottawa Race Weekend, first run in 1975, each year attracts about 40,000 runners over their six races: marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 5K, 2K and children’s run. Many of the events regularly sell-out, the half-marathon and marathon seeing abut 14,000 runners each.

Registration prices vary if you are a member of Run Ottawa or not. If you are a member, races will be $5 cheaper. Costs begin for non-members at $30 for the 2K, increasing to $105 for the marathon.

The May 28 and 29 event is one which is embraced by the city. The marathon attracts about 6,000 runners, but organizers are hoping to grow that number in 2016.

“Road racing is the only sport where amateurs compete alongside Olympic and world-class level athletes,” says race director John Halvorsen. “We think that’s pretty special and we plan to again give runners and spectators a great show by recruiting Canada’s and the world’s best athletes to run through the streets of their capital.”

The Ottawa 10K is regularly one of the top road races over the distance in the world, attracting not only Canada’s top athletes but many of the best in the world. The marathon fields are also often the best the country in a given year.