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travel / adventure zone
| The Adventure Zone |
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| Photo: Action Sports International |
A Capital Good Time
Tour Ottawa on a race through the city's scenic streets
By Christopher Mason
There are plenty of ways to get a quick tour of Canada's capital city. Tour guides, buses,
boats and even combination boat-buses take tens of thousands of tourists around Ottawa each
year to show them all the scenic city has to offer.
But the weekend of May 26-27 tens of thousands of athletes will take the tour on their own
two feet during the Ottawa Race Weekend, now in its 33rd year.
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| Photo: Action Sports International |
The race weekend includes courses of two kilometers, five kilometers, 10 kilometres, a half
marathon and a full marathon— perfect for anyone, whether they be recreational joggers
or elite athletes. The two and five kilometre races are open to runners or walkers, so are
great for anyone who wishes to take in the city's sights at a more leisurely pace.
Participants will see the best Ottawa has to offer— much of the downtown core and
its beautiful architecture, the bridge spanning the Ottawa River that connects Quebec and
Ontario, Parliament Hill and the beautiful Rideau Canal that makes Ottawa so unique.
The event has grown over the years to become one of the marquee stops for elite athletes,
as well as a favourite for thousands who see the event as a goal to train for or simply an
excuse to spend a day or two outdoors.
Organizers expect 30,000 participants at this year's run—about half from the
Ottawa area and the rest from across Canada and elsewhere. Participants from 47 different
countries took part in last year's run.
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| Photo: PHOTORUN |
"It's got to do with the beauty of Ottawa and that you can take in some of the
most scenic sights the city has," says Manny Rodriques, vice-president of the Ottawa
Race Weekend. "It's also good for those who are trying to set qualifying times
for other events such as the Boston Marathon because they know they'll be treated well
when they come here."
Events take place all day Saturday, with the first run beginning late in the afternoon.
They continue through Sunday. Registration is open until 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 26th. For
more information, including an interactive map of the courses, visit www.runottawa.ca.
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