National Capital Marathon

National Capital Marathon

The Ottawa Race Weekend is an annual series of road running events which is held in May in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

The event spans four days, with two days of meetings, conferences and courses, followed by two days of racing events on the weekend. The race program includes 2K, 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon events. The National Capital Marathon is held on the final day and is Canada's largest marathon event. The 10K and marathon events have both public and elite athlete participation. In addition to this there is a 1.2 km kids' marathon and a wheelchair marathon.

Starting from 1975, the event has grown over the years. It now attracts thousands of participants and over 38,000 runners took part in the racing weekend in 2010.

The event is organised by the Run Ottawa Club. The Ottawa Marathon is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon and is also used for the Canadian Masters Marathon Championship and the Canadian Forces Running Championships. The marathon race has hosted the Canadian national championship race on numerous occasions and the 10K was the official championship race in 2004. The marathon route begins and ends at Ottawa City Hall. Each year there are changes to the route, but it generally includes a brief portion in Gatineau, Quebec.