Canadian Track and Field League wraps up its inaugural season

The Canadian Track and Field League (CTFL) capped off their first season this summer, crowning the Bears as the inaugural champions, who finished the CTFL season with 105,774 points. The Bears were led by Jamaican Olympian Roxroy Cato, who won CTFL gold in the 400m hurdles, clocking the fastest 400mH time on Canadian soil this season in 50.82 seconds.

Huskies finished behind the Bears for second with 100,328 points. The final two remaining teams, the Arctics and Spitfires, finished with 98,005 and 97,965 points, respectively.

The 2022 awards

Following the championship, the CTFL MVP races were an all-out affair as four candidates for both genders were nominated for top honours. The men’s MVP candidates were all gold medalists in their respective events and included the likes of Cato (Bears), Michael Petersen (Arctics), Alec Purnell (Huskies) and Michael Roth (Arctics). The women’s MVP candidates were Hallee Knelsen, Helena Jovic and Kaitlin Brooks, who all represented the Huskies, in addition to Ashley Maguire (Spitfires).

After the MVP finalists were named, the four male and female athletes were voted upon by fans to decide who won. A total of 7,964 votes were cast, with the winners being 400m champion Roth and shot putter Brooks taking home the first CTFL MVP honours.

Excitement for the 2023 season

CTFL founder Quinn Lyness says he has big plans for the league to expand its offerings by adding three new events for the 2023 season.

“This season was extremely successful as we attracted some of the nation’s top talent with more Olympians and sub-elite athletes excited to join the league next season,” says Lyness. “Our league is heading in the right direction following the inaugural season.”

The league will also launch a documentary series on YouTube and Instagram called ‘Metre-by-Metre’, providing new insights into track and field as the series follows athletes during meets. The league also plans to expand their overall media coverage on social media: “More coverage will help the athletes earn more and attract additional talent to the league,” says Lyness.

You can check out the CTFL by following them on Instagram, as well as keep up to date on all CTFL news by visiting their website.