Generated from database + content/cities/ottawa.json

Hyrox travel guide / Ottawa

Hyrox Ottawa

21–25 April 2027 Ottawa

The Ottawa skyline at golden hour, seen from a distance across open water.

Venue

EY Centre
Uplands Drive, Gloucester-Southgate, Ottawa, by the airport
(last race venue)

Nearest airport

Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International (YOW), About CAD 30 by rideshare into the city. The venue is unannounced, so no transfer can be given

Weather

12°C (53°F) day
1°C (35°F) night

Weekend budget

CAD 187 (USD 135) per person

Before you read on

When you race
21–25 April 2027
How many nights to book
3 nights
Who this race suits
The longest daylight on the calendar, in a walkable capital, once the venue is known.
Nearest airport to the venue
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International (YOW), About CAD 30 by rideshare into the city. The venue is unannounced, so no transfer can be given
Cost for the weekend
CAD 187 (USD 135) per person, Flights, rooms and race entry.
On this page
  1. 1Race essentials
  2. 2Book your weekend
  3. 3Getting there
  4. 4Fuel and recovery
  5. 5Last race
  6. 6Things to do
  7. 7Tell us

Should you race here?

The longest daylight on the calendar, in a compact capital, at a venue nobody has named yet.

Reasons to

  • Nearly fourteen hours of daylight, the longest of any race here.
  • The city is compact and walkable, with canal and river paths through the middle.
  • An ordinary meal is about CAD 25 and a day on the network CAD 12.25.
  • Montreal is two hours away by train if you want to add a city.

Reasons not to

  • Hyrox has not confirmed the 2027 venue, so nothing about the journey can be planned.
  • It still freezes overnight in late April, at 1°C (35°F).
  • Rain falls on about eleven days in April, more often than anywhere else here.
  • The two plausible buildings are downtown and by the airport, which are not interchangeable.
The one to take seriously. Do not book anything fixed yet. The official Hyrox page for 2027 still reads VENUE INFORMATION COMING SOON, so no station, no parking and no walkable hotel can honestly be named. Ottawa raced at the EY Centre by the airport in May 2026. The Shaw Centre downtown is the other candidate, so the right place to stay changes completely depending on the announcement. Keep accommodation refundable and check the event page before committing.

Conditions on the day

BIOTHERM HYROX Ottawa runs April 21st, 2027 to April 25th, 2027 at EY Centre. Here is what that specific window is like on the ground.

The catch

Cold, wet and barely out of winter

12°C (53°F) by day, 1°C (35°F) at night

Ottawa in late April

  • The April average reaches 12°C (53°F) by day and falls to 1°C (35°F) at night.
  • It freezes overnight, which no other race on this part of the calendar does.
  • 72mm of rain falls across about eleven days, the most frequent rain here.
  • Daylight runs 06:07 to 19:56, nearly fourteen hours, the longest on this calendar.
  • Daylight
  • Dark
  • Bar height is temperature

What racing here is like

Where this city races

EY Centre

April 21st, 2027

BIOTHERM HYROX Ottawa

  • Hyrox has not published the hall for this race yet. This is where Ottawa raced on May 14th, 2026, which is the best available answer until the official listing names one.
  • Check the official event page before you book anything that depends on the address

The venue at a glance

Address
Uplands Drive, Gloucester-Southgate, Ottawa, by the airport. This was the venue on May 14th, 2026, and Hyrox has not yet named one for this race.
Nearest station
The station serving the venue (unknown until the venue is named)
Parking
Unknown. No venue has been announced, so no parking arrangement exists to publish.
From the nearest hotel
central, venue unannounced from Hotels in the ByWard Market
Altitude
76m above sea level, low enough to make no difference to your race.
Bag drop
Hyrox has not published the bag drop arrangement for Ottawa.
Supporters
Hyrox has not published spectator ticketing for Ottawa.

Ottawa has moved building, moved season, and grown from a single day into the best part of a week. Where you race, and when, changes the day more than most people expect.

EY Centre, your race is in this building

The trade and exhibition centre beside Ottawa airport, about ten kilometres south of Parliament Hill. This is where Ottawa raced in May 2026, and Hyrox has not confirmed it for April 2027.

Known for. Ottawa trade shows, and the May 2026 Hyrox, which drew 13,639 results.

The building. An exhibition hall out by the runways, which is a very different race to travel to than the Shaw Centre downtown.

Race day and start times

The thing that shapes your travel is not the race date. It is when you find out what time you are racing on it.

Hyrox links individual start times on the event page a few days before the race. A provisional schedule goes up earlier.

What that means for booking. The listing covers 21 to 25 April, five days, and the venue is still unnamed. Treat both as unsettled until the page updates.

What to bring

At whichever venue is announced, and only on the day you compete. Registration opens 90 minutes before the first wave of your division.

You do not bring a chip. You collect the ankle strap at check-in, wear it for the race, and hand it back after the line.

What your wristband does not cover

You are given a wristband at check-in. Hyrox has not published what the Ottawa one admits you to. Check-in is open only on the day you race, so do not assume it covers a second day.

Getting there on the morning

Unknown until the venue is named. OC Transpo covers the city at CAD 4.10 a journey or CAD 12.25 for the day.

What you need to book

Before you book

The listing covers 21 to 25 April, five days, and the venue is still unnamed. Treat both as unsettled until the page updates.

If Hyrox cancels or postpones the event, its terms do not cover your flights or your room. Check the cancellation deadline on both before you pay for either.

Flying into the city

Montreal is two hours by train and has far more international routes, which is often the cheaper way in.

Search flights to Ottawa

Somewhere to stay

The closest beds go first, and those are the ones that matter on race morning.

Compare hotels near the venue

Something to do with the rest of the weekend

Most people fly in for one race and see nothing. The day before is dead time if you do not plan it.

Tours and tickets in Ottawa

Somewhere to put your bag

Flying out the same evening? This is the difference between a good afternoon and hauling a kit bag around a city.

Left luggage in Ottawa

Your entry

Sold by Hyrox, one ticket per division per day. We earn nothing from this link and include it because you need it.

Official Hyrox entries

Estimate weekend cost

ItemLocal currencyUSD
Eating, three daysCAD 150$108
Travel, a day pass each dayCAD 37$27
One athlete plus one supporterCAD 187$135

Getting to Ottawa

Ottawa's airport is about thirty Canadian dollars from the city by rideshare, with the O-Train running south to it.

OC Transpo

Buses and the O-Train cover the city at CAD 4.10 a journey or CAD 12.25 for the day. Which route you need depends on the unannounced venue.

Visit site

  • CAD 12.25 for the day
  • route unknown

From the airport

About thirty dollars by rideshare into the city, with the O-Train running south to the terminal as the cheaper option.

  • About CAD 30
  • into the city

Entry requirements

Canada requires an eTA for visa-exempt air travellers and a visa for everyone else. Apply before you book flights.
Bring photo identification to check-in. Hyrox has not published which documents Ottawa accepts.

Quick tip

Hold the last leg until the venue is confirmed, because the two candidates sit on opposite sides of the city.

Getting to the venue

The ByWard Market and Centretown are the central options. Hold off on booking anything non-refundable until the venue is announced.

The station serving the venueunknown until the venue is named
A single OC Transpo journeyCAD 4.10 by card, CAD 4.15 cash
A day passCAD 12.25 (USD 8.80)
Ottawa airport (YOW) by rideshareabout CAD 30 into the city
Parking at the venueunknown until the venue is named
The O-Trainruns through the centre and south to the airport

A day pass is CAD 12.25 against CAD 4.10 a journey, so it pays for itself on the third trip. Which line you will want depends entirely on where the race lands, and Hyrox has not said.

Where to stay

The venue is unannounced, so none of these can be ranked by distance to it. They are ranked by how good a base they make.

Open in Google Maps · Get directions

1. Hotels in the ByWard Market

The restaurant and nightlife district beside Parliament, walkable to most of the centre. The obvious base while the venue is unknown.

Check rates|View on map

  • central, venue unannounced
  • central
  • The old market quarter

2. Hotels in Centretown

The office and shopping centre south of Parliament, on the O-Train and close to the Shaw Centre if that is where the race lands.

Check rates|View on map

  • central, venue unannounced
  • central
  • The downtown core

3. Hotels in the Glebe

A residential district along the canal with independent shops and quieter streets. It is pleasant, and further from both candidate venues.

Check rates|View on map

  • central, venue unannounced
  • 3 km
  • South of downtown, on the canal

Book something refundable. The venue is unannounced and Ottawa's two plausible buildings are downtown and by the airport, which would mean very different choices.

Neighbourhoods worth the commute

Ottawa is compact and walkable around Parliament, with the suburbs spreading east and south along the transit lines.

AreaTo the venueWhySuits
ByWard Market central, venue unannounced The old market quarter beside Parliament, with the restaurants, the bars and the produce stalls. The liveliest part of the city.
Centretown central, venue unannounced The downtown core south of Parliament, with the offices, the shops and the O-Train through it.
The Glebe about 10 min by bus A residential district along the canal, with independent shops on Bank Street and a calmer feel.
Hintonburg about 15 min by bus West of downtown, with the better restaurants, a farmers' market and a growing arts scene.
Westboro about 20 min by bus Further west along the river, with boutiques and access to the riverside trails.

Eating before and after

The night before a race is not the night for the best meal of your trip, which is harder discipline than it sounds in a city this good at food.

Zak's Diner

An all-day diner in the ByWard Market doing plain breakfast plates for eighteen to twenty-five dollars. Open late and uncomplicated.

  • CAD 18 to 25
  • ByWard Market, 10 min away
  • eat by seven

Centretown

The downtown core has ordinary kitchens doing pasta and grilled chicken, on the O-Train and close to whichever venue is announced.

  • About CAD 25
  • Centretown, 10 min away
  • order something plain

Ottawa eats poutine, shawarma and a fried pastry invented here, and all three are cheap.

BeaverTails

A flat fried pastry stretched to the shape its name suggests, invented in Ontario and sold from a stall in the market. Sugar and cinnamon is the plain one.

  • CAD 7 to 9
  • ByWard Market, 10 min away
  • order the cinnamon and sugar, after you race

Visit site

Shawarma

Ottawa has an unusual density of Lebanese shawarma places, and Shawarma Palace on Rideau is the one people name. About ten dollars a wrap.

  • About CAD 10
  • ByWard Market, 10 min away
  • order the chicken with garlic sauce

Visit site

Race day supplies

The practical failures that spoil a race weekend are almost never the training. They are forgetting the gels, or carrying a kit bag around a city for six hours.

Pack list

  • Proper cold-weather kit. It still freezes overnight in late April, at 1°C (35°F).
  • Waterproofs. Rain falls on about eleven days of the month, the most frequent on this calendar.
  • Layers for the eleven-degree swing to 12°C (53°F) by afternoon.

Quick tips

  • Buy a day pass at CAD 12.25 rather than singles at CAD 4.10.
  • Keep accommodation refundable until Hyrox names the venue.

The ByWard Market and Centretown both have supermarkets within a few minutes. Canadian shops keep long hours including Sundays.

The last race in Ottawa

Ottawa raced at the EY Centre in May 2026, but Hyrox has not confirmed a building for April 2027, so the journey cannot be planned yet.

What happened

The last edition, in short.

  • The official page for 2027 still reads VENUE INFORMATION COMING SOON.
  • A single OC Transpo journey is CAD 4.10 by card, and a day pass is CAD 12.25.

What it means for you

How your race differs from that one.

  • Book flexible accommodation until the venue is confirmed. The two candidates are on opposite sides of the city.
  • A poutine festival runs 23 to 25 April, inside the race window.

What else is on that weekend

A poutine festival inside the race window, and two trade shows just before it.

WhatWhenWhereWhat it means
Orléans PoutineFest23 to 25 AprilCentrum Plaza, OrléansInside the race window, in the eastern suburbs. More useful than disruptive unless you are staying out that way.
The Travel and Vacation Show10 to 11 AprilShaw Centre, downtownTen days before the race, in one of the buildings Hyrox might use. Over well before.
Cottage Life and Backyard Show16 to 18 AprilEY Centre, by the airportIn the other candidate building downtown, finishing three days before the race window opens.
The Rideau CanalAll weekendThrough the cityThe skateway has melted by late April, but the canal paths run for kilometres and are the best running here.

What to see

Written for someone racing tomorrow, not a tourist with a week. Each entry says how far it is, because some of these are worth a longer trip and some are not.

Parliament Hill

Gothic revival blocks on a bluff above the Ottawa River, with the Peace Tower over them. The Centre Block is under a long restoration, so check what is open.

  • Free
  • downtown
  • allow an hour

Visit site

The National Gallery

A glass and granite building by Moshe Safdie holding the best Canadian collection anywhere, with Louise Bourgeois's giant spider outside it.

  • ByWard Market
  • allow three hours

Visit site

The Canadian War Museum

A low concrete building on the river, and one of the better war museums anywhere. Sober rather than triumphal.

  • LeBreton Flats
  • allow three hours

Visit site

The ByWard Market

A working market since 1826, with produce stalls outside and restaurants around them. The centre of the city's eating.

  • Free
  • ByWard Market
  • allow two hours

What to do

The Rideau Canal paths

Eight kilometres of flat paved path along the canal from downtown to Dow's Lake, with no traffic. The obvious shake-out in any weather.

  • Free
  • central, 10 min away
  • an hour

The Ottawa River pathway

A separated trail along the north edge of the city, past Parliament and the war museum, with Gatineau across the water.

  • Free
  • central, 10 min away
  • an hour

Gatineau Park

Hills and lakes twenty minutes across the river in Quebec, with trails and the Mackenzie King estate. A real half day out.

  • Gatineau, 25 min away
  • half a day

Cross to Quebec

Gatineau is over one bridge and is a different province with a different language and cheaper food. Fifteen minutes on foot from the market.

  • Free
  • 15 min from the market
  • two hours

Raced here? Tell us about it.

Anything you wish you had known. It goes into this guide for the next person, and most of them have never done a Hyrox.

Things people find useful

  • How early you really needed to arrive
  • What caught you out
  • What the hall was like inside
  • Where your supporters watched from
  • Anything good you did in the city
0 words

Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Hyrox. HYROX is a trademark of its owner, used only to describe the races discussed.

This page links to booking and travel sites. Where we have an affiliate arrangement with one we may earn a commission if you book through it, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we list, or the order it appears in.

Last updated November 7th, 2026.