Several University of Toronto Varsity Blues track and field alumni delivered gold medal performances at the 2026 Canadian Track & Field Championships, presented by Bell.

The national showcase took place this past week from June 17 to 21 at the Terry Fox Athletic Facility in Ottawa.

Winning her seventh Canadian title in the women's 5000m, Gabriela DeBues-Stafford crossed the line first with a time of 15:23.26. Gabriela dawned the Blue and White from 2013 to 2017, setting OUA, U SPORTS, and Canadian records throughout her illustrious career. A two-time Olympian, Gabriela has represented Canada at the 2016 Rio Games and 2020 Tokyo Games.

In the women's 1500m, Lucia Stafford captured the top step of the podium posting a time of 4:08.66. The victory marked her fourth national championship in the event. Lucia was a member of the Varsity Blues cross country and track and field teams between 2016-2021. Also a two-time Olympian, Lucia has worn the maple leaf at the 2020 Tokyo Games and most recently at the 2024 Paris Games.

Lastly, Femi Akinduro won the men's triple jump with a best distance of 16.26m. The win marked his fourth national title in the triple jump. Akinduro competed with the Varsity Blues from 2018 to 2023, capturing four consecutive OUA provincial triple jump crowns and three U SPORTS national golds.

In addition to their national crowns from this past week, both Gabriela and Lucia have been named to Team Canada for the upcoming 2026 Commonwealth Games. The international competition is set to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.