Increased prize money brings Olympic and national athletes to Forest City Road Races

The 2025 Canada Life Forest City Road Races (FCRR) increased its prize money by one-third, and it drew a record crowd. CTV London's Brent Lale reports.

If you pay them, they will come.

The 2025 Canada Life Forest City Road Races (FCRR) increased its prize money by one-third, and it drew a record crowd with nearly 1,000 more runners over 2024.

“We have become an Athletics Canada (AC) sanctioned event. and we’re also working with the World Athletics Association,” said Shauna Versloot, FCRR race director.

“We increased our prize money, adding a fourth-place finish and increasing our prize money from $12,500 last year to over $18,000 this year.”

That money helped draw Olympic, national and international athletes to London.

“London is my favourite place to run, and I came back and trained here before the Olympics in 2016,” said Lanni Marchant, a London-born Olympic runner who now lives in Tennessee.

“Everybody gets to come out and see where I come from, and Athletics Canada and Forest City Road Races are going to pair together. It’s going to be awesome.”

Marchant won the women’s 10k races in a time of 34.16.

“I always joke for our size, we have a lot of Olympians and pro athletes that have come out of here,” says Marchant.

“So, it will be really cool to see how big this event gets and who it pulls from across the country to come up. Rachel Hannah - a medallist at Pan Ams in 2015 - she won the half-marathon in 1:17.”

Hannah, from Port Elgin, Ont. was able to fit this years FCRR into her schedule, and it paid off with a win in the newly sanctioned AC event.

“It’s certified and the prize money is really fantastic,” said Hannah, who took home $2,000 for her victory in the half-marathon.

“It really helps runners and sometimes it can be difficult when you are training a lot of hours, so it’s fantastic to have the support. When we have more competitors, especially women, we push each other more, so it’s really great”.

With AC coming on board, there is some other unique elements that accompany a more professional-style event. It was rare to see a doping-control tent next to the finish line, and officials escorting the top finishers in for testing.

“It legitimizes it, and I think us as athletes, we appreciate it when it shows the event is putting in the amount of work we’re putting into it,” said Marchant.

With the half-marathon joining AC’s Road Race Label Series Events, it brings the FCRR to an national-level of competition.

“In all three of the distances here in the 5K, 10K and half marathon, they’ve got top level athletes including several national team members are part of these races,” said Ian Reid, an on-site official with Athletics Canada.

“It’s really providing a top-level race for athletes in Ontario and if things progress well, getting people from across the country to come.”

More athletes mean more money coming in for the beneficiary which is the Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC).

“A lot of our programs are paid for by the Ministry, but a lot of them aren’t,” said Jill Bell, director of clinical services at TVCC.

“Fundraisers like this support the programs that the Ministry doesn’t. A lot of things that just help kids be kids and help them thrive in what they’re doing and have more fun in their life.”

The money goes to support programs like recreation and leisure, parents and caregivers and equipment rentals.

With nearly 4,000 competitors, the FCRR has helped pack every hotel in the downtown area, and bring a massive boost to the local tourism industry.

With increased prize money, runners are starting to take notice of the FCRR, and it is on its way to becoming a world-class event.

“My goal to make it as big and as world class in London, Ontario as we possibly can,” said Versloot.