Runners begin the marathon at last year’s Ottawa Race Weekend. This year’s marathon starts at 7 a.m. Sunday. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)
One of the capital’s biggest annual events is this weekend and that means taking drivers off some major central Ottawa streets Saturday and Sunday.
The Ottawa Race Weekend’s kid’s, 2K, 5K and 10K distances are Saturday, then the half marathon and marathon are Sunday.
Organizers say about 37,500 runners have signed up. The weekend typically draws about 39,000 people from out of town, they say, and brings about 200,000 spectators along the various routes.
Road closures start Friday at 8 a.m. when the Queen Elizabeth Driveway closes north of Somerset Street W. until 8 p.m.
Saturday’s closures stick to Centretown and the Rideau Canal, with the longest-lasting on Laurier Avenue between Metcalfe and Nicholas streets from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Elgin, O’Connor and Wellington streets are among the others affected.
This is the furthest the rolling race weekend road closures stretch on Saturday, May 25. (Ottawa Race Weekend)
Sunday’s road closures extend as far as the Champlain Bridge, Canada Aviation and Space Museum and Central Experimental Farm.
This means parts of Preston Street, Prince of Wales Drive, Carling and Gladstone avenues and the two parkways along the Ottawa River join the closures list.
The first roads close at 5 a.m. and the last to reopen are at 6 p.m. on Sunday.
No routes cross the Ottawa River to Gatineau, Que., this year.
Road closures for the half marathon (in blue) and marathon (in red) on Sunday, May 26. (Ottawa Race Weekend)
The Confederation Line opens early at 5 a.m. Sunday to help people get to the starting line near city hall. People going to get their race kits at Lansdowne Park on Friday and Saturday can show their registration to the bus driver or LRT fare gate for a free OC Transpo ride.
Other closures and events to keep in mind include the Great Glebe Garage Sale on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., an Atlético Ottawa home game at 3 p.m. that same day and the Odawa Native Friendship Centre’s annual powwow both Saturday and Sunday.
On the highways, the ramp from westbound Highway 417 to the Aviation Parkway closes Friday evening until the end of November. The ramp from Innes Road to the westbound 417 also closes Friday at 8 p.m., but only until 10 a.m. Sunday.
The Alexandra Bridge is closed to vehicles until autumn, and there are some lane and sidewalk closures this weekend on the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge.