This weekend marks the big finale for the 2024 Canadian Track and Field League (CTFL) season. On Saturday, athletes from across Canada will compete at Terry Fox Athletic Facility in Ottawa as part of their respective teams; the Arctics, Bears, Huskies, and the reigning champions, the Spitfires (full disclosure–I race on this team).
The CTFL, now in its third season, was created to grow the presence of track and field in Canada; 14 athletes from the league will be headed to the Paris 2024 Games next month. Of these, four Olympians and three Paralympians will be showcasing their world-class athleticism at Saturday’s final. Team Canada’s World Indoors gold medallist shot putter Sarah Mitton, sprinters Eliezer Adjibi and Bianca Borgella and Para athletes Noah Vuscics and Charlotte Bolton will all be looking to claim a spot atop the podium and a cash prize.
The championship meet, presented by the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club, will have a pre-meet section in the afternoon, with the elite section in the evening, featuring the top eight to 10 athletes in each of the 10 disciplines. $26,000 in prize money will be divvied up amongst the meet’s top scorers. Winners of the premier events, which include the women’s shot put and 400m and the men’s 100m and 1,500m, will be awarded $600.
To promote honest performances across the board, $500 will go to athletes who achieve a facility record. To continue recruiting world-class athletes in future seasons, the CTFL will offer $500, $250 and $125 to individuals with the top three World Athletics scores across the meet.
Cash prizes also go to athletes who accumulated the most points throughout the preliminary meets.
After tallying up scores for all the athletes on each team, the Bears are in the lead headed into the final, with the Arctics trailing behind by a single point. The final will be the last chance for athletes to earn points for their team, with the hopes of bringing home the team title.
Viewers can tune in to watch these teams go head to head on RunnerSpace, or can follow along through live results. Friends and family in Ottawa can also purchase tickets to support and motivate the CTFL championship field.
