RACE WEEKEND INFO
Your guide to the Hybrid Heart Founding Edition
October 24–25, 2026 · Wesley Clover Parks, Ottawa
Race week is here! We can’t wait to welcome you to the first-ever Hybrid Heart 5K & 10K Trail Race.
Please read this guide before arriving and share it with anyone joining you. From bib pickup to your finish-line celebration, here’s everything you need to know.
100% of net event proceeds will be donated to the Ottawa Cancer Foundation. Thank you for being part of it.
THE ESSENTIALS
Saturday bib and shirt pickup: October 24, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sunday arrival: October 25, between 7:45 and 8 a.m.
Opening remarks: 8:40 a.m.
10K start: 9 a.m.
5K start: 9:15 a.m.
Guided 5K walking group: 9:16 a.m.
Awards: 11 a.m.
Event concludes: 1 p.m.
Please note the updated start times above. They replace previously advertised departure times.
Registration is closed. There will be no onsite registration.
RACE-WEEKEND INFORMATION
BIB & SHIRT PICKUP
Saturday, October 24 · 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Wesley Clover Parks — Race Village
Please make every effort to collect your bib on Saturday. This helps our volunteer team keep race morning running smoothly and gives you time to enjoy the Race Village before the big day.
Have your registration confirmation email ready to show our pickup team. If you purchased a Founding Edition T-shirt, collect it with your bib.
Picking up for a friend?
You can collect someone else’s bib if you bring:
Their registration confirmation email.
Their written permission authorizing you to collect it, provided by email or a verifiable Instagram DM.
Please have both ready when you reach the pickup table.
Unable to attend Saturday?
If exceptional circumstances prevent you from collecting your bib on Saturday, please contact hybrid.heart.ottawa@gmail.com in advance to arrange Sunday pickup.
Sunday pickup will operate strictly from 8–8:30 a.m., with limited staffing and capacity. Please reserve this option for situations where Saturday pickup—or collection by a friend—is genuinely not possible.
Purchased shirts can also be collected during this window, with limited service capacity.
GETTING HERE
Wesley Clover Parks
401 Corkstown Road
Nepean, Ontario K2H 8T1
GET DIRECTIONS TO THE EVENT ENTRANCE
Parking is free. Please follow event signage and our parking volunteers’ directions.
There is plenty of parking, but we encourage carpooling where possible. Allow time to park, walk to the Race Village, use the washrooms and get ready.
On Sunday, please aim to arrive between 7:45 and 8 a.m. The Race Village opens at 8 a.m., and opening remarks begin at 8:40 a.m.
RACE DAY SCHEDULE
Please gather near the start area before opening remarks and listen for instructions from our team.
KNOW YOUR COURSE
One loop for the 5K. Two loops for the 10K.
Our beginner-friendly course takes you through the trails and open fields at Wesley Clover Parks. Whether you’re racing, trying trails for the first time or joining the walking group, there’s a place for you.
The preview was filmed before final course preparation. Follow the marked race-day route and our marshals’ instructions.
Sharing the trails
Keep right where practical and move single file in narrower sections.
Pass on the left when safe, announce your approach and give others space.
The walking group will leave behind the 5K runners with a volunteer guide.
10K runners completing their second loop should watch for walkers and slower participants.
At the end of your first 10K lap, follow the directions for the second loop rather than entering the finish area.
Our course marshals will help guide you at key locations. Please follow their instructions.
HYDRATION & COURSE SUPPORT
Water and Gruppo POWER mix will be available at the start area and the the course hydration station.
Our volunteers will help keep you fuelled and moving. Please place cups and other waste in the provided bins and help us leave the trails clean.
There is no general onsite water tap available to guests, so please arrive with a filled water bottle.
SAFETY & FIRST AID
St. John Ambulance will be onsite on Sunday, and a volunteer with first-aid training will be stationed at the farthest point of the course.
If you experience a problem, see an injury or need assistance, tell the nearest course marshal or volunteer immediately. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911 and alert our team.
If you need to withdraw from the race, notify a marshal or event official before leaving so we can account for you. Our sweep crew will check the course behind the final participants.
Look for our volunteers in their orange shirts and volunteer lanyards. They’re here to help!
TRAIL REMINDERS
Natural surfaces can be uneven or slippery. Watch your footing and adjust your pace to the conditions.
Headphones are permitted, but you must remain able to hear other participants, volunteers and race instructions.
Dogs and strollers are not permitted on the race course.
WASHROOMS & BELONGINGS
Portable washrooms supplied by Purple Potties, including an accessible washroom, will be available in the area marked on the public site map.
There is no bag check. Please leave unnecessary belongings securely in your vehicle. Hybrid Heart and Wesley Clover Parks are not responsible for lost or stolen belongings.
EXPLORE THE RACE VILLAGE
Saturday · 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Sunday · 8 a.m.–1 p.m.
Come for the trails and stay for the people.
Our Race Village brings together local businesses, athletic clubs and partners offering food, music, recovery support, shopping, giveaways and activities.
Partner activities and offerings may vary throughout the weekend.
Come hungry
Mr. Shawarma will be onsite both days, serving hot food for participants and guests to purchase. Sunday food service is planned to begin at 10 a.m.
Visit Pas Mal for coffee, connect with our community partners and explore what everyone has brought to the Founding Edition. The Fitness Lab will also be raffling prizes at its tent.
Vendor purchases are separate from your race registration.
Post-race refreshments from Farm Boy
Every participant will have access to bananas, apples and sparkling water after their run, generously provided by Farm Boy, our Official Post-Race Food Partner.
Farm Boy’s contribution will be served by our volunteer team rather than through a staffed Farm Boy booth.
SPECTATORS WELCOME
You don’t need a bib to be part of the day!
Friends, family and supporters are welcome to enjoy the Race Village and cheer from our designated spectator zone overlooking the start line.
Seating is limited. If you would like a guaranteed place to sit, please bring a folding chair to set up in the spectator zone.
Please keep the race course, timing area and emergency access routes clear, and follow our volunteers’ directions.
YOUR FINISH-LINE MOMENT
Cross the line and collect your Founding Edition finisher medal. There will only ever be one first edition, and we’re excited for you to take home a piece of it.
Grab your Farm Boy refreshments, celebrate at the photo backdrop and spend some time enjoying the village.
Please keep moving beyond the finish line so other participants have space to finish safely.
Results & photos
Professional chip timing will be provided by Sportstats, with official results shared after the race.
Complimentary professional race photos will also be available. We’ll share the gallery link with participants once the photos are ready.
Awards · 11 a.m.
Stay to celebrate our community and cheer on the award recipients!
We’ll recognize:
First, second and third place in the men’s and women’s 5K and 10K.
Top Fundraising Individual.
Top Fundraising Team.
Best Team Spirit.
Our People’s Champion and outstanding partners.
Thank you to our generous prize contributors for helping us celebrate these achievements.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME
Bring:
Your registration confirmation email if collecting a bib.
Comfortable running shoes suitable for natural trails.
Layers appropriate for the weather.
A warm, dry layer for after your run.
A filled water bottle.
A payment method for optional food and vendor purchases.
Spectating? Bring a folding chair if you’ll need seating.
THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE BEGINNING
Hybrid Heart exists because people chose to show up—for the cause, for their community and for one another.
To our participants, volunteers, sponsors, partners and supporters: thank you. We can’t wait to share the Founding Edition with you.
Questions or an exceptional Sunday bib-pickup request?
hybrid.heart.ottawa@gmail.com
Moved by one. Made of many.