Ottawa Hosts Its First Ever Ironman Event This Sunday
So here’s something exciting happening this weekend—Ottawa is hosting its very first Ironman Canada event this Sunday, August 3rd. Yep, it’s a major moment for the city, and if you’re anywhere near the downtown core or planning to travel through key routes, you’ll definitely want to know what’s going on.
This Ironman event is expected to bring thousands of athletes and spectators into the city. Roads will be closed, shuttles will be rerouted, and normal weekend programs like the NCC Weekend Bikedays will be suspended, just for the day. Basically, a large part of the capital is being turned into one giant race course.
Now, for those unfamiliar, an Ironman is no joke. It’s a full triathlon—swimming, biking, and running—all rolled into one grueling challenge. Athletes will be swimming in the Ottawa River, cycling across bridges and along parkways, and running through key city routes. This is a big logistical effort, and the city has been prepping for it for a while.
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Let’s talk closures because they’re going to affect a lot of people. On Sunday, several roads will be closed starting early in the morning and lasting well into the evening. For example, Kichi Zībī Mīkan , both eastbound and westbound, will be closed from Carling Avenue to Vimy Place from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Same for major connectors like the Champlain and Portage Bridges , and parts of Colonel By Drive , Queen Elizabeth Driveway , and the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway —some of which will be shut down until midnight or even into the early hours of Monday.
And it’s not just roads— the Gatineau Park shuttle won’t be stopping at its usual landmarks like Pīndigen Park or the Canadian Museum of History . Instead, its start and end point will be at Montcalm.
If you're planning to walk around the core, expect crowd control barriers and detours for pedestrians too. The city's preparing for a huge turnout, and safety measures are being put in place everywhere.
So, whether you’re cheering from the sidelines, volunteering, or simply trying to get across town, it’s good to be prepared. It’s a big day for Ottawa—this is the city’s Ironman debut, and it’s shaping up to be a memorable one.
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