John Stoddart, 85, was the final finisher of the 2025 Ottawa International Marathon, extending his streak to 51 years

Photo by: @ottawaracewknd/Instagram

If you’ve run the Ottawa International Marathon at any point in the last 50 years, odds are you’ve shared the course with John Stoddart.

On Sunday, the 85-year-old lifelong Ottawa resident was the final finisher of the 2025 race, crossing the line in 8:04:08—20 minutes faster than his time in 2024.

With this result, Stoddart continued one of Canada’s most remarkable running streaks: 51 consecutive finishes at the Ottawa Marathon.

Stoddart finished 3,267th out of 3,267 at the 2025 Tartan Homes Ottawa International Marathon. Photo: @ottawaracewknd/Instagram

Stoddart first laced up for the event in 1975 (then called the National Capital Marathon), after reading about it in the Ottawa Citizen.

Stoddart was 35 (in 1975) and clocked a respectable 3:23 in his marathon debut. A year later, the streak began—and it hasn’t stopped since.

His motivation? “Because it’s there,” he’s said.

While the streak helps fuel his return each May, Stoddart insists he’ll keep going until his body says otherwise.

Injuries and father time have tried to slow him down, but Stoddart always finds a way to make it from start to finish.

In 2007, he completed the marathon on crutches due to a sciatic nerve injury—his hardest race, he says.

According to a 2024 interview, he began running in 1970 after reading Aerobics by Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the U.S. Air Force physician who created a way to analyze cardio fitness through a simple points system.

Stoddart isn’t alone in his streak. Fellow Ottawa runner Howard Cohen, 75, also completed his 51st consecutive Ottawa Marathon on Sunday, finishing in 5:53:59.

The two have become friends despite being occasional rivals in the age-group categories.

They’ve joked about one day stepping down to the half-marathon distance, but Stoddart says that day hasn’t come yet.