As the 2024 CTFL season inches closer to its championship, the men’s 1500 is shaping up to be one of the tightest and most exciting fields the event has ever seen in the league’s history. Here’s the rundown:

Arctics runner Matthew Beaudet has seemingly run away in the standings this season with his strong performances in the preliminary meets. Beaudet has garnered a perfect 50 points on the season with the best free and preliminary marks. His CTFL season best is an elite 3:38.72, but even Beaudet is no guarantee in the final.

Behind Beaudet, André Alie-Lamarche and reigning CTFL 1500m champion Alec Purnell sit in second and third place, respectively, both representing the Huskies. Together, they combine for 67 points for their team, a considerable takeaway. Of the two, Alie-Lamarche has the best time on the season of 3:40.35, just in reach of Beaudet heading into the championship.

Underestimating Purnell would be a mistake. Purnell won both the 2022 and 2023 CTFL 1500m titles and his experience makes him one of the biggest threats heading into this year’s championship.

If Purnell isn’t enough of a threat, Bears’ Simon Bérubé sits in fourth place after finishing second in 2023. Bérubé is more than capable of taking the win.

Possibly representing the Spitfires in the finals is Max Davies, the reigning 1500m and 1000m USports champion for the Guelph Gryphons, holding USports records in both events with times of 3:44 and 2:21, respectively. However, since breaking the 1500m record in March, Davies has lowered his personal best to a blistering 3:39.80. 

Despite not racing in any CTFL preliminary events, Davies threatens to steal the championship race if present.

With every CTFL team represented by elite talent in the men’s 1500m, there is opportunity for each team to take away a significant number of points by season’s end. Led by Alie-Lamarche and Purnell, the Huskies have already combined for a mind-blowing 99 points, leading the field in the event. Beaudet leads an Arctics’ duo to combine for 60 points and Bérubé leads a Bears’ trio to a total of 46 points. Lastly, Davies’ lone free mark leads the spitfires with 20, but a win in the championship could bring them up to 55 in the 1500m.

With this much elite talent and with a team and individual championship on the line, the men’s 1500m is a can’t-miss event on Saturday July 6 at the 2024 CTFL final.