COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
The Ottawa Marathon relies heavily on the support of the local Ottawa community from residents to businesses to city agencies in order to produce the race each year. Without its partners, the Marathon would cease to exist. With that in mind, the race has developed several outreach programs for its several community partners.
Youth Athletic Series:
The Ottawa Marathon shares the enjoyment and rewards of exercise and fitness with the next generation and hence created the Youth Athletic Series. The Youth Athletic Series is a free, school-based running program for the Ottawa Valley. The series has two categories, participation or competitive. The competitive program is based on participating in up to 7 pre-selected running events which earn you points if you are a top five finisher. Top overall winner (Male & Female) at the end of the series will receive a $1000 Trust Fund and Top 5 will receive merchandise prizes. The participation program is based on participating in 6 out of 7 races, which will earn you a merchandise prize.
Ottawa Kids Marathon:
New in 2008, the Ottawa Kids Marathon was created to inspire children to work towards running a marathon. Children in Grades 3 – 8 are challenged to perform a half hour of exercise on a regular basis for a sixteen week period. Each half hour of exercise completed is equivalent to one km. They can participate in numerous types of exercise such as running, soccer, cross country skiing, basketball or hockey which will be recorded as half hour of exercise. Once they finish the required 41 km recorded on a tracker sheet they will run the last 1.195 km at the Ottawa Kids Marathon. The children will all receive a t-shirt, a finisher medal, champion chip and if required a space blanket.
Neighborhood Partners:
The 8 official neighborhoods of the Marathon + Half Marathon are:
Cheering Stations (Marathon + Half Marathon)
CHEERING ZONE #1: Montcalm St. between Wright St. and Wellington – Gatineau, QC (8KM)
CHEERING ZONE #2: Subway Cheering Station & Crichton Community Council – Mackay St. New Edinburgh (12KM)
CHEERING ZONE #3: Manor Park Community Council Cheering Station – Eastbourne Dr. (15KM)
CHEERING ZONE #4: Subway Cheering Station Cheering Station – McKenzie Ave. (behind the Chateau Laurier Hotel) (23KM)
CHEERING ZONE #5: Ottawa Hospital Foundation Cheering Station - Colonel By Driveway at Hartwell Locks (29KM)
CHEERING ZONE #6: Ottawa Hospital Foundation Cheering Station – Queen Elizabeth Driveway & Lakeside Ave. (37KM)
CHEERING ZONE #7: Lululemon Cheering Station – Queen Elizabeth Driveway just south of Bank Street Bridge (38KM)
CHEERING ZONE #8: Subway Cheering Station + Canadian Forces – Queen Elizabeth Driveway at Bank St. (40KM)
The one official neighborhood of the 10K + 5K is:
Cheering Station (5KM +10KM)
CHEERING ZONE #1: YMYWCA Cheering Station – Queen Elizabeth Drivewa(4KM)
Partners in these communities receive a variety of items to outfit their rally stations and businesses leading up to the race.
