Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe to run Tartan Ottawa International Marathon

In his first year in office, Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe looks to become the city’s first sitting mayor to run the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon Sunday.

Sutcliffe will be one of 3,000 participants in this year’s marathon, running through Ottawa and Gatineau, finishing on the banks of the historic Rideau Canal. The marathon will be Sutcliffe’s 39th since 2004. The 54-year-old is a two-time Boston Marathon finisher and one of the founders of the Canadian running publication iRun Magazine in 2008. He also sits on the board of Ottawa Race Weekend.

This year, Sutcliffe has chosen to leverage his marathon to raise funds for Salus, a non-profit organization providing supportive housing in the Ottawa region. In February, the organization was devastated by a flood caused by a fire sprinkler that burst, flooding the building and forcing the 40 tenants who lived there, many of whom deal with serious mental health issues, to find alternative housing.

Sutcliffe set a fundraising goal of $20,000, and has already raised upwards of $12,000.

“I toured the Salus building earlier this year, and it was devastating to see the aftermath,” Sutcliffe told the Ottawa Citizen. “Affordable and supportive housing is a big priority for us this term of council, and Salus is a great organization that does amazing work.”

In the interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Sutcliffe said he’s run every single day as mayor of Ottawa, and generally logs 80 to 90 kilometers a week.

Sutcliffe is also the author of three books about running: Why I Run, Canada’s Magnificent Marathon, and Long Road to Boston. 

Long Road to Boston is about his journey to the 2015 Boston Marathon after trying to qualify for many years. He has run Boston twice, with a 3:42:37 in 2015 and 3:49:37 in the 2018 rainstorm. Sutcliffe has also completed marathons in Chicago, London and New York.

Sutcliffe is one of 30,000 runners who will be a part of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. Festivities will kick off on Saturday afternoon with the 2K, 5K, and Canadian Championship 10K, followed by the half-marathon and Tartan Ottawa International Marathon on Sunday morning. 

posted Wednesday May 24th
by Marley Dickinson