Wilson Kiprop wins at the 2014 Ottawa 10k (© organisers / Victah Sailor)
The Ottawa 10K, one of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend's signature events, will have IAAF Gold Label Road Race status in 2015, the race organisers and the IAAF confirmed on Tuesday (4).
The Ottawa 10K is the first road race in Canada, and only the fourth 10km road race in the world, to receive the Gold Label.
"The IAAF Gold Label takes the Ottawa 10K to a new level," said John Halvorsen, president of Run Ottawa and race director of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
"This really puts Ottawa on the map as a destination for amateur and elite runners looking for a world-class running experience."
The IAAF Gold Label – the highest standard awarded by the IAAF for road running – signifies that a race has met the IAAF's stringent criteria on the calibre of the elite field, the breadth of media coverage and logistical execution of the race.
The Ottawa 10K was also recently announced as the venue for the 2015 Canadian 10K Championships.
"With the Gold Label and the Canadian Championships, I expect 2015 to be a banner year for our 10K event. We'll be attracting even faster runners and setting new records," said Manny Rodrigues, elite athlete coordinator of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
"We all strive for excellence, congratulations to John, Manny and the team at Run Ottawa for achieving the highest honour from the international governing body," said Rob Guy, chief executive officer of Athletics Canada.
"Hosting the Canadian 10K Championships as part of an IAAF Gold label event is very exciting,” added Guy.
The 30th running of the Ottawa 10K will be held on Saturday 23 May 2015 as part of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
Organisers for the IAAF
