Ceili McCabe (born September 17, 2001) is a Canadian middle- and

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

who specializes in the

3000 metres steeplechase The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually Abbreviation, abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase (athletics), steeplechase in track and field. It is an obstacle race over the distance of the 3000 met ...

. She has represented her country at the

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

and

2023 World Athletics Championships The 2023 World Athletics Championships (), the nineteenth edition of the World Athletics Championships, were held from 19 to 27 August 2023 at the National Athletics Centre (Budapest), National Athletics Centre, in Budapest, Hungary. The tourna ...

and holds the Canadian 3000 metres steeplechase record of 9:20.58, set in 2024.

Early and personal life

McCabe was born September 17, 2001, in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

to Bob and Kate McCabe. She attended

Little Flower Academy Little Flower Academy (LFA) is a Canadian independent all girls Catholic secondary school located in Vancouver’s Shaughnessy, Vancouver, Shaughnessy neighbourhood established in 1927, by the Sisters of Saint Anne, Sisters of Saint Ann. Histo ...

, where she was multi-sport athlete all five years of high school. In 2019, she enrolled at

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...

Morgantown, West Virginia Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Monongahela River in North Central West Virginia and is the home of West Virginia University. The population was 30,347 at the 2 ...

where she majors in

Sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

Running career

High School

Competing for

, under coach Mark Wilkie, McCabe was the 2019 BCSS champion over the 1500 metres steeplechase and finished third in the

800 metres The 800 metres, or 800 meters (American and British English spelling differences#-re.2C -er, US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of a ...

at the same championships. Later that summer, she took first place at both the BC Club Championships in

Kamloops Kamloops ( ) is a city in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the North Thompson River, North and South Thompson Rivers, which join to become the Thompson River in Kamloops, and east of Kamloops Lake. The city is the ad ...

and the Canadian U20 Championships in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

in the

. In the latter, she ran a personal best of 10:38.30.

West Virginia University

2019

In 2019, McCabe enrolled at

in order to compete for the Mountaineers cross country and track and field teams. She made her mountaineers debut on September 21, 2019, finishing fifth at the

Lock Haven University Commonwealth University-Lock Haven (LHU) is a public university in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The main campus covers and the branch campus in Clearfield co ...

Invitational. At the Big 12 cross country championships she finished 13th and two weeks later she placed 25th at the Mid-Atlantic Regional.

2020-21

At the postponed 2020 NCAA cross country championships in

Stillwater, Oklahoma Stillwater is the tenth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, Payne County. It is located in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 177#Oklahoma, U.S. Route 177 and Oklahoma S ...

, Ceili placed 42nd as the top WVU runner. During the 2021 outdoor season, McCabe qualified for the

NCAA Championships The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and 1 in Canada. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and helps ...

in the 3000 m steeplechase after running 6 second personal best at the East Preliminary Round. At nationals, McCabe ran two successive personal bests in the heats and final. 9:39.27 in the heats and a 9:37.39 to take sixth place in the final, just 7.39 seconds off the Olympic qualification standard of 9:30.00. The performances also broke Erin Teschuk's Canadian U23 steeplechase records of 9:40.07. Being just 7 seconds off the Olympic standard, and a chance at being selected for the

2020 Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

, McCabe entered another 3000 m steeplechase in

where she ran a time of 9:32.01, her fourth personal best in a row.

2021-22

Coming off a strong track season, Ceili carried that strength into her cross country season winning her first four races of the season: the Louisville Classic, the Nuttycombe Invitational, the Big 12 Conference Championships, and the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. Unfortunately for McCabe, that win streak snapped at her fifth race of the season, the NCAA Cross Country Championships, where she placed third, just 4 seconds behind winner

Whittni Orton Whittni Morgan (née Orton; born October 22, 1997) is an American middle distance runner. Originally from Panguitch, Utah, Morgan represents Adidas and debuted at the 2022 Millrose Games 3000 meters. She competed for Team USA in the 5000 m at ...

. On December 4, 2021, McCabe ran an indoor 3000 m personal best of 8:52.52 at Boston University, setting a Canadian U23 record in the process.

2022-23

Competing at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, McCabe placed 8th in a time of 9:05.09. Ceili opened her 2022 outdoor season in Morgantown, running 9:32.14 over the steeplechase. At the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...

, McCabe improved upon her 2021 finish running a personal best of 9:31.14 to take 3rd in the final. Two weeks later, competing at the

Canadian Championships Canadian Championships refers to a number of national-level competition in Canada. It may refer to: * Canadian Championship, the national championship tournament for professional soccer * Canadian Figure Skating Championships * Canadian Professiona ...

, McCabe won her first senior level national title, running another personal best of 9:30.69 and beating

Regan Yee Regan Yee (born 4 July 1995) is a Canadian athlete who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She has represented Canada at the 2019, 2022, and 2023 World Athletics Championships as well as at the 2020 Summer Olympics. International comp ...

who finished runner-up in a time of 9:31.77. Both personal bests also reset her own Canadian U23 record in the process. Based on her world ranking, McCabe was selected to represent Canada at the

2022 World Athletics Championships The 2022 World Athletics Championships was the eighteenth edition of the World Athletics Championships. It was held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, United States, from July 15–24, 2022, with the country hosting that competition for the ...

in Eugene, Oregon. McCabe placed tenth in her heat in a time of 9:32.73, missing the finals in her World Championships debut. At the 2022 NCAA Cross Country Championships in

, Ceili placed 24th, earning All-American honours. On December 3, 2022, McCabe ran an indoor 3000 m personal best of 8:50.44 at Boston University, breaking her own Canadian U23 record in the process. On January 28, 2023, at the Dr. Sander Invitational in New York City, McCabe competed in the mile running a personal best of 4:31.57, splitting a time of 4:12.78 at 1500 m, also a personal best. Though she qualified for the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships in both the mile and 3000 m, McCabe chose to only contest the 3000 m, placing sixth.

2023-24

Competing in the steeplechase during the outdoor season, McCabe won the Big 12 Championships and finished third at the NCAA Championships in Austin. In July, she finished first at the Harry Jerome Track Classic in a personal best of 9:28.76 and finished second to

at the Canadian Championships again running a personal best of 9:25.98. Naturally, both performances reset her own Canadian U23 record. At the

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

, McCabe finished sixth in her heat, failing to advance to the finals.\

2023-24

Coming off the World Championships in late August and in preparation for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Ceili decided to

redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Sports * Redshirt (college sports) Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically ...

her cross country season. On 25 November, she competed at the Canadian Cross Country Championships, finishing first in a time of 33:28 in her first ever 10 km cross country race. On January 27, 2024, McCabe ran a personal best of 4:30.24 over the mile in New York City. At the NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston, McCabe chose to the contest the mile where she finished sixth in personal best of 4:29.26. On April 17, she ran her season opener in the

at the USATF LA Grand Prix. She took the win in a personal best and Canadian record of 9:20.58, besting Geneviève Lalonde's former national record of 9:22.40 set at the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

Competition record

International Competitions

National Championships

NCAA Championships

References

External links

* * * *
Ceili McCabe
at the

Paris 2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCabe, Ceili 2001 births Living people West Virginia Mountaineers women's track and field athletes Canadian female middle-distance runners Canadian female long-distance runners Canadian female cross country runners Canadian female steeplechase runners Track and field athletes from Vancouver West Virginia Mountaineers women's cross country runners World Athletics Championships athletes for Canada Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes for Canada 21st-century Canadian sportswomen