On Wednesday, Canadian 3,000m steeplechase record holder and Olympian Ceili McCabe announced she’s turning pro, signing with Swiss athletic brand On. The move comes just two months after the Vancouver native wrapped up her five-year NCAA career at West Virginia University.
With an NCAA title, a Canadian cross-country crown and two Canadian steeplechase championships to her name, the announcement comes as little surprise. Last September, McCabe also became the first Canadian runner to sign a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal–also with On.
“Excited to start my pro career with the support of the On family!” McCabe wrote on Instagram. “Looking forward to the next start line and the future repping this amazing brand.” She’ll remain in Morgantown, W.Va., for the next year for training and continue to be coached by Sean Cleary.
McCabe is the third Canadian post-collegiate athlete to sign a pro contract in 2025, following Kitchener, Ont.’s Foster Malleck, who signed with Under Armour in April, and Borden, Sask.’s Savannah Sutherland, who went pro with Adidas last month.
McCabe has not competed since winning her first individual collegiate national title at March’s Indoor NCAA Championships. She’s also passing on this weekend’s Canadian Track and Field Championships, and will miss the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
“[I’m] really disappointed I can’t start the contract out with racing,” she told Canadian Running. “But [I’m] slowly building back and gearing up for Canadian cross trials with worlds as the next goal for me! Hoping to be another level fitter if I can.”
Ceili McCabe becomes first Canadian runner to sign NIL deal
Setting the national record
One of the biggest breakthroughs of McCabe’s career took place last May, when, at the Los Angeles Grand Prix, McCabe opened her 2024 season with a 9:20.58 in the 3,000m steeplechase, taking the win over 2022 world champion Norah Jeruto. The performance marked a five-second personal best and broke Geneviève Lalonde‘s former national record of 9:22.40. The run also secured McCabe the Olympic standard of 9:23.00, earning her a spot at her first Olympics later that summer.
