In his first 12 months in workplace, Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe appears to be like to grow to be the town’s first sitting mayor to run the Tartan Ottawa Worldwide Marathon Sunday.
Sutcliffe shall be one in every of 3,000 contributors on this 12 months’s marathon, operating via Ottawa and Gatineau, ending on the banks of the historic Rideau Canal. The marathon shall be Sutcliffe’s thirty ninth since 2004. The 54-year-old is a two-time Boston Marathon finisher and one of many founders of the Canadian operating publication iRun Journal in 2008. He additionally sits on the board of Ottawa Race Weekend.
This 12 months, Sutcliffe has chosen to leverage his marathon to boost funds for Salus, a non-profit group offering supportive housing within the Ottawa area. In February, the group was devastated by a flood attributable to a fireplace sprinkler that burst, flooding the constructing and forcing the 40 tenants who lived there, a lot of whom cope with severe psychological well being points, to search out various housing.
Sutcliffe set a fundraising purpose of $20,000, and has already raised upwards of $12,000.
“I toured the Salus constructing earlier this 12 months, and it was devastating to see the aftermath,” Sutcliffe informed the Ottawa Citizen. “Inexpensive and supportive housing is a giant precedence for us this time period of council, and Salus is a superb group that does superb work.”
Within the interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Sutcliffe stated he’s run each single day as mayor of Ottawa, and customarily logs 80 to 90 kilometres per week.
Rising up in #Ottawa, museums gave me a window into the world and ignited my curiosity and creativeness. We’re so fortunate to be residence to superb museums that residents and vacationers alike flock to. Take time this lengthy weekend to go to our museums to flee and be impressed.… pic.twitter.com/cPnTWcDXpn
— Mark Sutcliffe (@_MarkSutcliffe) Might 19, 2023
Sutcliffe can be the writer of three books about operating: Why I Run, Canada’s Magnificent Marathon, and Lengthy Highway to Boston.
Lengthy Highway to Boston is about his journey to the 2015 Boston Marathon after attempting to qualify for a few years. He has run Boston twice, with a 3:42:37 in 2015 and three:49:37 within the 2018 rainstorm. Sutcliffe has additionally accomplished marathons in Chicago, London and New York.
Sutcliffe is one in every of 30,000 runners who shall be part of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. Festivities will kick off on Saturday afternoon with the 2K, 5K, and Canadian Championship 10K, adopted by the half-marathon and Tartan Ottawa Worldwide Marathon on Sunday morning.
