2025 Race to End Homelessness Race Report by Dave

Event Date:
2025-10-04

Event Location:
RA Centre in Ottawa
A new fall event on the race calendar. The “Race to End Homelessness”. From the Alliance to End Homelessness website:

“We’re launching a powerful new 10K, 5K, and 1K run/walk event that aims to educate, engage, and unite the community around one critical goal: a future where everyone has a home.”

Overall Venue Rating:
4 – Great

Overall Course Rating:
1 – Needs to be improved
Love the RA Centre. Lots of free parking and indoor washrooms.
The 10km course was really hard to follow. Lots of in/outs of the govt parking lots, lots of cut backs….not a lot of guidance on the route didn’t help either. Crossed the finish line at 9.7km instead of 10km cuz’ I missed a loop somewhere. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Please rate the aid stations:
3 – Good
Water…..with excel bars at the finish along with some fruits (my memory is foggy as I left rather after the race).

How was the weather?
Warm for October 4th….but sunny and dry. 👍

My Race Experience:
First time event so not huge. 160 in the 5km and 45 runners in the 10km. I ran the 10km. We ran with ankle timing devices courtesy of Somersault. From the start I locked in behind Mayor Sutcliffe and former RO boss Ian Fraser. It was two loops of the 5km course (but really 4 loops of a good section of the course. Confusing!). Once the bulk of the 5km runners were off the course it got even more confusing cuz’ there were a lot less runners to follow. Ran an extra 300m past the finish line to get to 10km on the day in 55:44 (5:34/km). I managed to both win and come last in my age category. 1/1 😂🤷🏻‍♂️

Would you do this event again? Why?
Important charitable event that I hope to support in the future, but they need to clean up the course. Can be a nice tune up race for a later in the fall marathon or 1/2 marathon.

Would you recommend this event? Why?
Only to those of my friends who have a very good sense of direction. 😉

Closing thoughts. Any hints for others planning to do this race? Where to stay? Things to bring? What to wear?
Billing’s Bridge Plaza is right across the street from the RA so enjoy all it has to offer!