Race Day in Ottawa: Timeline, Common Mistakes, and Plan Bs

The Days Before

Three things to put on your calendar before the race.

First: the swim recon. In the Ottawa River, about halfway through the course, there's a rocky shoal with roughly 60 cm of water: in 2025 some athletes were walking on it. Decide ahead of time whether to swim around it or cross it carefully. If you can swim the course in the days before, do it; if not, study the map and ask people who have raced it.

Second: air quality. In 2025 there was a wildfire smoke alert, with visible haze during the race. Check the air quality index in the days leading up and be mentally prepared to adjust expectations and intensity.

Third: drop-off logistics. T1 is at Britannia Beach, T2 at Confederation Park downtown: bike and bags go to separate zones, with times set by the athlete guide. Don't cram it all into the last afternoon.

The Day Before

Gear dropped off, there's little left to do: and that's how it should be. Pack your morning bag (wetsuit, goggles, swim cap, nutrition, portable breakfast), verify the shuttle time to Britannia Beach, and check the weather. The wetsuit call is made on race day: the stated average water temperature is 21°C; in 2025 it was officially 23.5°C and wetsuits were legal. Bring both options anyway, and a plan for each.

The Morning

Wake up early: the swim start is reached by shuttle. Portable breakfast prepped the night before. At Britannia Beach: bike check, tires, nutrition mounted, then the porta-potty line and head to the start. The swim is one 3.8 km loop according to the official page (a third-party source mentions two loops: go with that year's athlete guide). Expect potentially choppy water and a slight headcurrent: in 2025 it cost some athletes up to about 8 minutes. Don't panic if the clock reads more than expected: it's the same for everyone.

During the Race: The Critical Points

• Swim: the mid-river shoal and the current. Swim your own pace, ignore the time.
• Bike: rough pavement on the Québec side (bottles lost in 2025), crosswind on the bridges with gusts up to 30 km/h, narrow no-passing zones downtown. Rolling course: consistency, not spikes.
• Run: flat for 40 km, then the last 2 km uphill and the 13% kicker behind Parliament Hill, twice. Leave something in reserve.
• Heat: 26-28°C with 70-80% humidity. Ice, water over the head, scheduled electrolytes, from the first aid station, not from when you start feeling bad.

Common Mistakes

• Trusting the word "flat": neither the bike nor the end of the run really is.
• Starting the marathon at dream pace in the first 20 km, fresh off the crowd energy.
• Underestimating nutrition monotony: 2025 reports mention gels that after hours "burn" your mouth and throat. Alternate solids, liquids, and different flavors, all tested in training.
• Being late for the shuttle or improvising breakfast.
• Not having studied that year's bike map: the layout has changed between editions.

Plan Bs

• Wetsuit banned: if the water exceeds the limit, have you swum enough without a wetsuit in open water? If not, revise your split goal.
• Bad air: with a smoke alert, cut the intensity and aim to finish, not for a PR.
• Extreme heat: switch to the conservative pacing plan from the morning on. In 2025 some athletes experienced dizziness or collapsed: slowing down early beats stopping later.
• Bottle lost on the Québec side: know where the next aid stations are and don't skip them.

The race is won in the days before, with decisions already made. On race day, execute.