Ottawa Race Weekend
LRT to Accommodate Ottawa Race Weekend Crowds with Earlier Start on 26 May 2024
LRT will open early for up to one hour each day because runners from nearby provinces are expected to take the arrival at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend easy in pursuit of that record time
While organizers last year spent months asking OC Transpo to start LRT service early on marathon Sunday but were told it was impossible due to a STL maintenance schedule in place at the time of the race, this year it’s a different story.
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This year, organizers worked with OC Transpo and the City of Ottawa to coordinate the Carnaval start times of various races on this weekend included the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon on Sunday, May 26: the runners are scheduled to start at 7 a.m., meaning that the time LRT, Line 1 opens from 8 a.m. every Sunday as a general rule with these exceptions being made just for Carnaval Weekend.
“We are so grateful to the city and OC Transpo for working with us and being flexible because we know that it means a lot; there are many people, not just racers,” said Run Ottawa executive director Mike Vieira.
Looking Ahead Got question for Race Day? Race Weekend organizers hope the early LRT start time will be able to reduce use of cars in the downtown core. With more than 16,000 runners expected to arrive on Laurier Ave West near to Confederation Park for start-up and another 100,000 spectators lining the course, corporate transportation is key in this sort of activity.
Both the half marathon and marathon sold out far earlier this year than in history, according to Vieira. He expects participant numbers to hit 40,000 by race day. Race Weekend at its peak of registration prior to the pandemic reached a total of 49174 persons registered in six events.
