Thousands of runners from around the world sweated the streets of the country’s capital on Saturday and Sunday for the first weekend of Ottawa in-person racing in two years.
The COVID-19 pandemic halted the annual meeting of high-performance athletes in 2020 and 2021, and encouraged runners to complete their own races in their home communities and send their time to line.
But this weekend, the scenes were similar long before COVID-19.
Kinsey Middleton became the first Canadian to win the women’s marathon since 2007, finishing with a time of 2:30:09.
“The crowds were amazing,” said Middleton, an American and Canadian citizen whose family is from Guelph, Ont.
“After going through the pandemic for the last three years, the races have been very scarce, and it’s been a long time since I’ve had that energy. And so every person I encouraged has helped me get to the finish line.” .
As for the men, Ethiopian Andualem Shiferaw set a new marathon record with his 2:06:04, the fastest time on American soil this year.
Then take a look at some of the views from this year’s races.
Fans are looking for family members as they cheer on runners starting the half marathon on Sunday. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press) Many fans applauded and made signs, including this one, whose poster reads “Beautiful Legs.” (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press) Men’s elite runners, including eventual winner Andualem Shiferaw of Ethiopia, second from the right, cross the Alexandra Bridge during Sunday’s marathon. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press) Medical staff treat a runner lying on the sidewalk during Sunday’s marathon. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press) Medical staff pour water on Jason Storozum’s head after finishing the marathon. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press) Charlotte, a four-month-old golden retriever, bites the medal her owner Chirine Njeim received after completing the marathon on Sunday. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press)