Article content

Ottawa Race Weekend is still a go, even as organizers closely monitor the evolving spread of the novel coronavirus.

“With two months to go before our event on May 23-24, we currently have no plans to cancel or postpone,” organizers posted on the Ottawa Race Weekend website Monday afternoon.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend still a go despite coronavirus fears, organizers say Back to video

“Should the current risk level change in such a way that we would consider modifications to Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, we will advise all guests to ensure everyone has the most up to date information at hand,”

The event attracts as many as 35,000 participants over the weekend and pumps between $11 million and $15 million into the local economy, said executive director Ian Fraser. It is the largest running event in Canada.

“The bottom line is that there’s so many unanswered questions,” Fraser said. “It’s very difficult to look into a crystal ball and say, ‘We’re going to do this’, because it’s a moving target. Every day it’s a little bit different.”