Women’s Track and Field Athletes return for Second Season in Canada

The Canadian Track and Field League (CTFL) is gearing up for its second season, which promises to be just as exciting as the first. The league, which was founded in 2022, is comprised of 232 athletes who will compete across 10 disciplines in a series of meets over the summer. The CTFL is made up of four teams – Arctics, Huskies, Spitfires, and Bears – and will tour throughout Canada, opening in Calgary before heading to Montreal, London, Guelph, and ending in Ottawa with the league’s championship meet in August.

The league aims to attract audiences throughout the country, offering fans the chance to watch different events and cheer for their favorite athletes. Unlike USATF and Athletics Canada, who support athletes with a fixed fee, the CTFL aims to expand the sport in order to help athletes. The league will pay athletes a percentage of its total revenue, with that percentage increasing as the league grows and becomes more successful. The CTFL is currently being financed by sponsors, as well as ticket sales from the championship meet.

Sarah Mitton, Canadian shot-put record holder and ranked second in the world, is grateful for the work that the CTFL is doing to help athletes. Although the Olympian remains grateful to be sponsored by CAN Fund, a Canadian charity assisting athletes, Mitton said the lack of an apparel sponsor means her income is heavily reliant on government financing.

Re-reported from the story originally published in https://www.theglobeandmail.com/