How to follow the 2025 Canadian XC Championships
A preview of the men’s and women’s races, plus what to expect on the course in London, Ont. on Saturday
Sean Burges/Mundo Sport Images
The Canadian Cross-Country Championships return to Fanshawe Golf Club in London, Ont., on Nov. 29, and there’s a lot on the line for this year’s athletes: namely, a coveted spot on Team Canada for the 2026 World XC Championships in Tallahassee, Fla. The open men’s and women’s fields are the deepest they’ve been in years, and Canadian Running will be on the course to keep you updated on all the action.
Here’s a preview of the men’s and women’s races and a how-to-follow.
Men’s 10K preview
For the first time since 2012, Canada’s Moh Ahmed will compete for a national XC title. Over the past 13 years, Ahmed has pursued his goal of becoming one of Canada’s greatest track runners. This journey earned him a world championship bronze medal and an Olympic silver in the men’s 5,000m. But his 2025 track season did not go as planned: a calf injury hampered his buildup and kept him from performing at his best at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Ahmed arrives in London as the clear favourite in the men’s 10K, with several young challengers looking to pull off a massive upset.
One of those challengers is three-time Canadian university XC champion Philippe Morneau-Cartier of La Pocatière, Que. Morneau-Cartier has dominated U Sports this XC season with Université Laval and finished fourth at last year’s ACXC on this same course. With six spots available on Team Canada for the World XC Championships, he’ll be among the top contenders fighting for a place.
Another name to watch is 24-year-old Evan Burke of London, Ont., who will look to capitalize on the home-course advantage. Burke spent the last several years running track and cross country in the NCAA system for Stanford University and the University of Oregon, where he broke a few of Ahmed’s U23 distance records. He owns a 10,000m personal best of 28:31, and hopes to use his familiarity with the course to stay in the mix.
Former U Sports XC champion Mitch Ubene is another athlete who may appear on several prediction lists. Ubene has had a standout fall on the roads, winning the Ontario provincial 5K championships and the Hamilton Road2Hope Elite 5K in 13:59.
Canadian Olympian and national team marathoner Ben Preisner is dropping down in distance to give himself a chance to make the Canadian XC team heading to Tallahassee. Preisner’s most recent race was two months ago at the Tokyo World Championships, where he placed 26th, in 2:17:32.
The men’s 10K race goes off Saturday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Women’s 10K preview
Similar to the men’s race, the women’s 10K has a clear favourite: Vancouver’s Ceili McCabe. This will be only McCabe’s second appearance at the Canadian XC Championships, and if you remember her debut in 2023, she won by a significant margin. This year’s women’s field in London is deeper than it was two years ago in Ottawa, but McCabe is also more experienced; since 2023, she has represented Canada twice on the world stage (in the 3,000m steeplechase) and captured an NCAA title over 3,000m. She set this Canadian XC title as her main fall-season goal, and her third-place finish at a World Athletics XC event in Wales three weeks ago suggests she’s more than ready to deliver.
Florence Caron of La Malbaie, Que., will be one of the athletes looking to challenge McCabe. Last week, Caron finished as the top Canadian at the 2025 NCAA XC Championships in Missouri, placing 14th for Penn State University. She is a seasoned cross-country runner and has put together a strong fall season that backs up her potential for a podium finish on Saturday.
With only six spots available on the world team, Canadian Olympian Regan Yee, Hamilton’s Chloe Thomas and Glynis Sim of Salmon Arm, B.C., are among the contenders looking to secure one. Thomas is currently sitting out this NCAA collegiate season after transferring from the University of Connecticut to the University of Washington; during her time at UConn, she set a U23 Canadian 5,000m record of 15:17.47. Both Yee and Sim also have proven XC credentials, having represented Canada at previous World XC Championships.
After making a statement last year, Leslie Sexton returns to the course that brought her national XC glory as she looks to defend her title. When she won in 2024, Sexton said she wanted to see every Canadian distance runner line up in 2025, and judging by the depth of this year’s field, she got her wish.
The women’s 10K race goes off Saturday at 2:00 p.m. ET.
How to watch
The 2025 Canadian Cross Country Championships will be streamed live on Runnerspace via AthleticsCanada.tv. A link for the live webcast and on-demand videos will only be available for RunnerSpace +PLUS subscribers. You can find the link here.
Canadian Running will also be live on the course, bringing you updates as the action unfolds (and Internet permits) in London. Stay tuned to our Instagram feed for the latest news.
