Ottawa Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Tamarack Ottawa International Marathon is the main race of Ottawa Race Weekend, held on a Sunday at the end of May and organised by the not-for-profit Run Ottawa. The marathon starts at 7:00am at Ottawa City Hall on Laurier Avenue West, and the marathon and half marathon routes both start and finish at City Hall. The organisers describe the routes as flat and fast, past landmarks including the National War Memorial, Dow's Lake, the Dominion Observatory and the Rideau Canal. The course takes runners across the river between Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec. Marathon participants are expected to finish within 7 hours, with a cut-off at the 27 km marker near the Pretoria Bridge at 11:30am. The marathon is a World Athletics Elite Label road race with a certified course, and a Boston Marathon qualifying event; entries are capped at 6,000. The weekend also includes a half marathon on the Sunday and a 10K, 5K, 2K and kids' marathon on the Saturday. The first Ottawa Marathon was held in 1975.