Cycling & running events in Ottawa-Gatineau, 2026

Ottawa-Gatineau Training Notes

Running: Locals run the Ottawa River Pathway, the Rideau Canal, the Greenbelt trails, and the soft rollers around Dominion Arboretum when they want honest base miles. The Rideau waterways route gives you 24 km, and the Champlain Bridge Loop gives you 13K bridging Ottawa and Gatineau. Run clubs make the week easy to fill: Vanier Running Group, Slowpokes Ottawa, Bushtukah Trail Runners, Somerset Runners, Ottawa Interval Runners, and Badass Lady Gang Ottawa all have regular crews. Anchor races include RCAF Run 2026, Shoppers Drug Mart® Run for Women - Ottawa 2026, 'Goode Run 2026, 2026 Solstice 5K - Ottawa, and 9runrun - Ottawa.

Cycling: Locals ride the Capital Pathway network for Z2, then head north when the legs need work. The route is a 5-kilometre paved pull through rolling terrain and steep hills. The climbs live in the Gats: Pink Lake hill gains 67 m, and King Mountain hill gains 87 m. Ottawa Bicycle Club covers group rides, time trials, youth development, and a racing stream. Anchor efforts include Navy Bike Ride 2026 / Défi-vélo de la Marine 2026, Ottawa Tuesday Night Crit - Weekly Series, and Almonte Paris Roubaix. The Gatineau 400 stretches 404 km and gains 4,715 m, with Wakefield onward basically a gravel playground beyond the main roads.

Season: April to November usually feels like the nice window for riding, and runners get a long shoulder season on paths, parkways, and neighbourhood loops. January averages a -6°C maximum and Gatineau averages a 26°C maximum in July. Locals keep summer simple with early intervals, shaded Greenbelt trails, Canal miles, and parkway rides when NCC Weekend Bikedays run from May to October. January averages a 4°C minimum and Gatineau averages a -15°C minimum. 85k winter route, which gains 37 m. Cyclists keep riding with precautions on icy ground, regular cleaning, and decent tires.