[3] The marathon was first held in 1975, and is categorized as an Elite Label Road Race by World Athletics.

In addition, each year, participants in the Ottawa Race Weekend raise close to $1 million for approximately 25 local and national charities affiliated with the event.

[3] The signature event of the weekend is the Ottawa Marathon, which was first held in 1975.

The Ottawa Race Weekend was at one point the only road racing event in the world to host two IAAF Silver Label events: the 10K and the Ottawa Marathon.

[7][8] On October 22, 2015, the Marathon also became an IAAF Gold Label road race.