Posted: March 9, 2006

Athletics: Ottawa to host first national wheelchair marathon championships

MARCH 9, 2006 – Ottawa, ON – ING Ottawa Marathon organizers today announced that Athletics Canada’s first Canadian Wheelchair Marathon Championships will be held during the Ottawa Race Weekend, on Sunday, May 28, 2006. Already, Jeff Adams, a two-time Olympian and five-time Paralympian has confirmed his participation.

“Holding events for all athletes is something incredibly important for our organization,” says John Halvorsen, Race Director for the ING Ottawa Marathon. “With the generous support of our title sponsor ING, and the help of a new partnership with Pfizer, we are making a long-term investment to make this a wheelchair event with no equal in Canada.”

ING Ottawa Marathon organizers consulted Athletics Canada and the wheelchair athlete community in planning the new event and prize structure. Athletes will compete in two divisions, the open division and the quadriplegic division, with a combined prize structure of $13,500. There will also be resources allotted to bringing Canada’s top wheelchair athletes to the competition.

Canada's Jeff Adams, a two-time Olympian and five-time Paralympian

“I really appreciate this commitment to building this event over time and in the right way,” commented Jeff Adams. “I have competed all over the world, and I can’t tell you how exciting it is to finally have a world-class event to compete in right here at home.”

Chantal Petitclerc, known world-wide for her accomplishments in wheelchair racing, including 16 Paralympic medals, one Olympic medal and two world records, praised organizers for their vision and commitment to Canadian wheelchair athletes.

“I am so proud to see that Canada is now going to have a world-class wheelchair marathon event,” said Petitclerc. “It’s great timing for this to happen. Canadian wheelchair athletes are getting more international recognition and now we’ll have a Canadian race to showcase that talent.”

“Staging the inaugural wheelchair championship here in Ottawa, where the Canadian Marathon Championships are already held, is a great opportunity to include all athletes into one great weekend,” added Scott Ogilvie, Director of Paralympic Programs at Athletics Canada. “The fact that there is a strong and genuine commitment from the race organizers to make the wheelchair event a success really speaks to their dedication to building the sport in partnership with Athletics Canada.”

The ING Ottawa Marathon, the feature event of the Ottawa Race Weekend, is set to take place on Sunday, May 28th. About the Ottawa Race Weekend
The Ottawa Race Weekend, Canada's premier running festival, combines competition, participation and fundraising to make a distinctive contribution to the health of the community. The event has over 30,000 participants in nine races, including the ING Ottawa Marathon and the MDS Nordion 10K. It is run by a volunteer Board of Directors. This year, the Race Weekend is scheduled for May 26-28.

About Athletics Canada
Athletics Canada is the national sport governing body for the sport of track and field including cross-country running and road running. Its purpose is the pursuit of leadership, development and competition that ensures world-level performance in athletics. The association believes in physical health and fitness, individual excellence and personal growth, individual development beyond sport, as well as inclusiveness and integrity. Track and field is a sport for people of all ages and abilities.

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