The organizers of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend and OC Transpo are pleased to announce that O-Train Line 1 will open at 5 am on Sunday, May 26, to help runners, volunteers and spectators travel to the start line of the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon.
Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is the biggest multi-day race event in Canada drawing in thousands of out-of-town visitors and 200,000 spectators. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ottawa’s marathon and participants registered en masse for this milestone event as well as for the half marathon. It is the first time in several years the marathon has reached maximum capacity. With 35,000 runners taking part in Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, runners are encouraged to start off on the right foot by travelling to the event using transit.
During Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, skip traffic, forget about parking downtown and avoid road closures by using O-Train Line 1 to travel to and through the downtown core. With three O-Train stations within 15-minutes of the start line, OC Transpo is the most convenient, accessible and eco-friendly way to get to and from the event safely. O-Train Line 1 will run as scheduled on Saturday May 25, from 6 am to 2 am. On Sunday May 26, O-Train Line 1 will open at 5 am ahead of the 7 am start of the marathon.
If travelling from outside the downtown core, there are many Park & Ride lots across Ottawa that offer free parking for attendees using transit. Paying your fare is easy and convenient with O-Payment. All fare readers on buses and fare gates at O-Train Line 1 stations accept credit card and mobile wallet options such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Race participants can also take advantage of free OC Transpo service on May 24 and 25 when traveling to pick up race kits at the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend Health and Fitness Expo being held at Aberdeen Pavilion in Lansdowne Park.
To plan your trip in advance, visit octranspo.com. You can also connect with OC Transpo through Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for the latest service updates on this year’s event.
