TORONTO — Ottawa Lions masters athletes delivered a dominant showing on the national stage last weekend at the Canadian Masters Track and Field Championships, capturing five gold medals and two silvers at the Toronto Track and Field Centre.
Leading the charge once again was ageless sprint star Wendy Alexis, who continues to rewrite the global record books at age 70.
Fresh off breaking the world W70 60-metre record earlier this season, Alexis lowered her own mark yet again on Sunday, clocking 9.07 seconds despite battling the flu. The performance eclipsed her previous world record of 9.11 and added another historic milestone to one of the most decorated masters careers in the sport.
Just a day earlier, Alexis had already set the tone for the weekend, storming to victory in the W70 50 metres in 7.81 seconds — a time that eclipsed the Canadian record of 7.87. While world records are not officially recognized in the 50 metres, her performance is believed to be the fastest ever recorded by a woman in the W70 category.
“Yesterday was fine until like the middle of the afternoon [after the 50 metres] and then I started falling apart. I didn’t sleep last night and I feel awful, but it’s 60 metres. How bad can it be?” she said in comments published by Athletics Canada following her record run. “Now it’s done. I still think I can go faster, but I’ll take that for now.”
Maguire Dominates Middle Distance
Distance ace Liz Maguire proved equally commanding in the W55 category, sweeping the 800 and 1500 metres in decisive fashion.
In the 800 metres, the 59-year-old delivered one of the top performances in the world this season, running 2:37.88 — the fourth-fastest time globally in 2026 — to win by a staggering 10 seconds. After a competitive opening lap, Maguire surged away on the second passing, building a clear gap before extending it dramatically over the final 400 metres.
She returned to the track to capture gold in the 1500 metres in 5:16.30, again well ahead of Manitoba’s Amanda Younka. The margin of victory, 23 seconds, underscored her dominance. The performance ranks third in the world this season and stands as the fastest by a 59-year-old in 2026.
Howitt Cruises to 800m Title
Another middle-distance gold came from Kimberley Howitt, who controlled the W40 800 metres from start to finish. Her winning time of 2:28.61 placed her nearly 15 seconds clear of the field and ranks among the top 20 performances worldwide this year in her age group.
Distance Duo Earn Silvers
Ottawa Lions athletes also claimed two silver medals in the men’s distance events.
Club newcomer Chris Fudge secured second place in the M40 3000 metres in 11:11.90, while veteran runner Gilles Frenette, competing in the M45 category, earned silver in 11:45.33.