Ironman triathlon likely made millions for the city, says Ottawa Tourism
Long weekend also had major track, rugby events
The Ironman triathlon in the nation's capital brought millions of tourism dollars into the local economy around the long weekend, said Ottawa Tourism.
"We're looking at a potential economic impact of over $8 million … It's very big for the city," said Jerome Miouse, the not-for-profit organization's director of public affairs.
Miouse said that economic estimate is based on data from hotels and how much those visitors typically spend on food and transportation.
Hotels in the city were full due to the influx of tourists, he said, and altogether about 10,000 people visited last weekend.
The Ironman event also coincided with other major sports events such as the Canadian Track and Field Championships and a Canada-U.S. warmup for the Women's Rugby World Cup.
"It's rare that we get so many major sporting events at the same time in this city. It's a beautiful thing to see and it was great to see people show up for them as well," he said.
Urban course unique, says coach
Ironman is a high-profile name in this Olympic endurance sport, offering a series of races around the world. The two most recent full triathlons were in New York and northern Spain, while the next two are in Sweden and Denmark.
Mont-Tremblant previously hosted an Ironman from 2012 to 2023.
Ottawa's first full Ironman triathlon saw over 2,500 athletes embark on a 3.8-kilometre swim in the Ottawa River near Britannia Beach, a 180-kilometre bike ride along the city's parkways and a 42.2-kilometre run through the downtown core.
One noteworthy part of this year's race was its urban setting, said triathlon coach Darian Silk: past editions of the event were set in suburban or rural areas due to the distances needed for the course.
"The urban nature of this race is a really unique kind of part of it and I think is a big draw for lots of people," he told CBC News.
"It's logistically convenient, like you can just fly into a major city, have a lot access to lots of hotels and accommodations in a major city and you could do your race all within that location."
The event is set to return to Ottawa in August 2026. Miouse said they are collecting feedback to see if the event could be improved.
With files from Ben Andrews