Canadian Track and Field Championships bring hundreds of top athletes to Ottawa

Canada’s top track and field athletes are in Ottawa this weekend for the 2025 Canadian Track and Field Championships.

The national championships for the U-20, juniors, seniors and para-athletes are underway at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility.

The event is an opportunity for athletes to make their way onto a national team and qualify for the World Championships coming up in Tokyo and the para world championships in India in September.

Malik Metivier, a 400-metre men’s hurdles runner, is making a comeback and competing this weekend for his ticket to the national team and world championships. Metivier was on his way to being qualified for the Paris Olympics last year when he got an injury that prevented him from going forward.

Metivier won his race on Friday but says he is rusty and still has a lot of work to do to improve.

“I think we just got to race ourself into shape this year. I’ve got one under the belt today. Hopefully have a better one again tomorrow,” he says.

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“I say mentally, I’m more strong after having been through what I went through last year. It’s just being a professional. I don’t believe in load management. You’ve got to race when country tells you to race.”

Metivier says he’s looking forward to making the world team and going to world championships and building his body up.

“I just got to get back to where I was. I’m blessed enough to achieve the goals I set for myself,” he said.

The event brings together almost 1,500 athletes and hundred of coaches for a week of competition.

“We’ve got some of our best athletes, a number of Olympians, number of medalists that are in competition. Whether it’s the 100 metres with our four-by-100-metre gold medal winning relay team from last year at the Olympics to our Paralympic shotput champion, Greg Stewart, there’s really kind of something for everyone and every event has exciting athletes that are going to put on a great show,” says Chris Winter, competition director and director of domestic programs and safe sport with Athletics Canada.

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Stewart, a two-time Paralympic champion in the sport of shotput competed in both Tokyo and Paris. He also has a background with playing for the national disabled volleyball team for 12 years and a university basketball player in British Columbia as one of the top defensive players in the country.

“It’s so awesome to come to these events. It’s such an amazing thing to be able to come out and share with others my experiences from the games and everything like that. It’s been it’s really cool to be out here. These are one of the biggest national events that we have where everyone can come together. It’s very cool to be here,” says Stewart.

Metivier’s sister Maya Metivier is also racing in the junior races. she says she’s fairly new to it but is hoping to get a personal best and just have fun.

“It’s just been so much fun this year and I’m just so grateful to be here to show what I’ve been working on all season, so I’m just really excited and happy for the opportunity,” she says.

Maya says she loves to see her brother in the warmup area and knows they have each other’s support.

“Super proud of him and everything he’s done. He’s definitely got the worst end of the stick in a lot of situations, but he’s just been able to persevere. He’s just got a lot of fight in him. I’m just so proud. I know everyone else’s too. I’m just excited for him to go show people what he’s been working on,” says Maya. “Running’s been something that’s been going on in our family for as long as I can remember.

For all athletes there is an opportunity, including for juniors to get on the radar of the national team and eligibility of international advancement.