As a proud Ottawa native and Ironman, I could not be more excited that Ottawa got its own Ironman! This city is an incredible place to train and race, so I’ve put together a guide to help you get the most out of your experience—whether you’re racing, spectating, or just visiting. Be sure to check out the YouTube Video to get all the details! This post is more of a supporting document to provide links for all the information in the video.
General Ironman Info
What even is an Ironman?? It’s a long-distance triathlon, consisting of a 3.8km (2.4-mile) swim, a 180km (112-mile) bike, and a marathon 42.2km (26.22-mile) run. It is generally seen as one of the most difficult individual one-day sporting events in the world.
I did my first Ironman in 2023 at Lake Placid, and have a full recap on that here: Ironman Lake Placid Recap. This post includes a packing list, and some general Ironman tips. Highly recommend giving that a read if this is going to be your first full distance race!
Oh and please feel free to follow me on Strava to see my training and steal route ideas!
A Look at the Ironman Ottawa Course
I’m quite excited about the course because it’s such a unique one – you get to swim, bike, and run throughout the city, but on closed roads! Here are a few key things to note:
- Swim: The Ottawa River is beautiful, but there is a current. It’s a large river so it can get pretty choppy if it’s a windy day, but the swim is in a bit of a protected bay so it’s likely not going to be too bad.
- Bike: The bike course includes a mix of city roads and scenic parkways, but be aware of road conditions (some areas might be a bit chewed up), and potential strong winds coming off the water. Strava route: IM Ottawa Bike Course
- Run: The run is going to be HOT, but the crowd support is expected to be fantastic! Strava route: IM Ottawa Run Course
- Transitions: There are two separate transitions, which is different from some other races. Make sure you know the logistics! I talk about this in a bit more detail in the video.
Where to Train in Ottawa
Race Week Shake-Outs
If you’re coming early to acclimate or want to squeeze in some shakeout sessions, here are my top training locations:
- Swim: Head to beautiful Meech Lake for peaceful open-water practice, check out the River House for a very cool vibe, or consult my list of pools in Ottawa here: Ottawa Swimming Guide For Triathletes. Stay tuned for word from Ironman on whether you can swim at Britannia Beach prior to race day!
- Bike: Most of the course will actually be closed to cars on the Saturday as well, thanks to Ottawa’s NCC Bike Days – so you can bike stretches of the course with no traffic (Strava routes: NCC West, NCC East, Queen E). You can either just choose the one that’s closest to where you’re staying, or go for the west end to scope out the road conditions, the east end for smooooth pavement, or Queen E to see more of the run course! For earlier in the week, I’d recommend either the pathways along the river (this route will take you from Parliament Hill to Britannia Beach, where you can lay eyes on the swim course, entirely on pathways!), or heading in to Gatineau Park.
- Run: I would recommend doing the start of the run course as a shake-out to scope out those hills. Otherwise, running along the canal is your best bet!
Why You Should Train in Ottawa Before the Race
Ottawa isn’t just a race-day destination—it’s an amazing place to train year-round. The city offers a mix of urban and natural settings, with plenty of quiet roads for cycling, scenic running trails, and accessible open-water swim spots. If you’re prepping for an Ironman, spending time here before race day is a smart move!
Swimming
Ottawa has LOTS of pools and quite a few great places to open water swim. I’ve got all that info wrapped up neatly in this post here: Ottawa Swimming Guide for Triathletes.
Biking
Ottawa has some fantastic cycling routes that are perfect for Ironman training. Here are my favourites:
- Gatineau Park Loops – If you want hills, this is the best spot. It’s also a favourite because it is CAR FREE! The park has lovely rolling climbs, making it perfect for practicing elevation changes, doing hill repeats, and enjoying the views.
The classic “loop”, to Champlain Lookout: Champlain Loop
The ideal longer ride, including a “loop” and a trip to Wakefield: Park Loop + Wakefield
- NCC Weekend Bike Days – Every weekend, a few of Ottawa’s major parkways close to cars (and these are the same parkways we will be biking on race day!), giving you a safe, smooth ride without worrying about traffic.
NCC – East end: G-E Parkway
NCC – Queen E (central): Queen E
NCC – West end: Kichi Zibi
- Ottawa River Pathway – If you’re looking for an easy spin or recovery ride, this paved pathway along the river is scenic and flat. There’s also a parallel pathway on the other side of the river in Quebec!
River Pathway – downtown to Britannia: River Pathway
Voyageurs Pathway – downtown to Aylmer: Voyageurs Pathway
- Surrounding Country Roads – For those long race-pace efforts, the quiet country roads that surround the city are fantastic. Low traffic, flat roads, and wide-open scenery make them great spots for getting in big mileage.
A killer long ride option along smooth country roads with wide shoulders and beautiful scenery: Stittsville to Westport
Long ride – downtown to Montebello and back: Montebello
A big flat loop in the east end: East Loop
A shorter loop in Manotick, with awesome flat stretches for TT practice: Mano Loop
- Gravel Routes – Ottawa has a decent amount of gravel riding, which is really nice to mix up the training a bit and get off the TT bike every now and then.
Gravel to Wakefield: Gravel – Wakefield
East end gravel route along the river: Ottawa River East
Stittsville to Carleton Place along TCT: Stitty to CP – gravel
Running
Ottawa’s full of awesome running routes, and it really depends on where you are in the city, so I’ll just throw in a couple of my favourite routes that are pretty central, and a race sim option.
Bridges Loop: this is a beautiful route that takes you along both sides of the Ottawa River and crosses one of my favourite bridges!
Tour d’Ottawa: I love bringing friends on this loop when they come to visit, as it takes you through so much of the city along pretty pathways.
One Race Day Loop: since the course is two loops, you can do just “one loop” and still get to see the full course!
Best Places to Eat (Fuel Up or Celebrate!)
I actually don’t know if it’s possible to share all of my favourites across the city, but here’s a list I started on that should be decently helpful: Ottawa’s Best Eats: My Tried And True Favourites.
Other Great Races to Consider
If you’re looking for other events to build up to Ironman Ottawa, check out:
- Ottawa Race Weekend (End of May) – A great way to prep for race day conditions (it’s always hot as heck, perfect sim for August weather)
- Bring on the Bay (Early July) – An open water swim race at the same location as the Ironman.
- Somersault Events (throughout the year) – Somersault always has a pile of races (both running and multi-sport) throughout the year, perfect for tuneups and just plain fun!
FAQs with the Race Director
I sat down with the Ironman Ottawa race director to answer a few hot questions, including:
- Will the swim be wetsuit-legal?
- What’s the toughest part of the course?
- How does the two-transition setup work?
(Check out the full interview in my video!)
Post-Race Recovery & Relaxation
Whether you’re a local, you plan to stay a few days after the race, or you’re coming up for a training camp, I feel like it’s my duty to inform you of your options for recovery and relaxation. I highly recommend checking out Nordik Spa in Chelsea – it’s a massive outdoor spa with cold plunges, thermal baths, saunas, and amazing food. We also have the newer Koena Spa, which I haven’t been to yet but have heard very good things!
Final Thoughts
Ironman Ottawa is going to be an epic race, and I can’t wait to share everything I love about this city with you. Whether you’re racing, cheering, or just visiting, I hope this guide helps you make the most of your experience.
Be sure to watch the full video below for all the tips, insights, and interviews! See you at the start line!
