World 1,500m champion Josh Kerr believes Grand Slam Track is shaping the future of athletics.
The revolutionary league, of Olympic legend Michael Johnson, is already turning heads. It will feature four major events throughout 2025 and boasts a $12.6 million prize pot, with $100,000 awarded to each race winner.
For Kerr, this league is about rewriting athletics’ narrative, transforming a sport he believes was “in bad shape”.
Speaking to talkSPORT, the 27-year-old made it clear he saw the potential from the start.
“I saw the vision, knew who was leading it, and knew it would become the biggest league in the world,” he said.
“It’s nice for it all to come together now. To be honest, it’s been a long time coming.”
Kerr will compete in both the 800m and 1,500m races at the inaugural Jamaican event, 1,500m being his World Championship and Olympic medal-winning event.
Josh Kerr will race against Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi and American 1500m gold medalist Cole Hocker. The league’s format awards points for race finishes, with a maximum of 24 points determining the ultimate champion.
Kerr believes the head-to-head structure and top athletes are key for athletics to reach global heights like the NBA, NFL.
“This is the end goal for athletes, and I don’t think we’ve had that before. Long-term, this is what we’re going to see, athletics becoming one of the biggest sports in the world again,” he explained.
Kerr believes the absence of stars like Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Noah Lyles in Jamaica doesn’t diminish the league’s quality or legitimacy.
“There’s a lot of trust that the athletes have given this commission and this league currently,” he said.
“Everyone’s making their own personal decision to be in this league or not. It doesn’t really matter if you’re the biggest name in the sport or not.”
Kerr highlighted that the athletes commit to transforming the sport by investing in its future, not just seeking glory.
“We are the best athletes in the world, and we’re going up against each other time and time again. This is going to be a situation where you’re going to have to be part of this league to be known as the best in the world.”
The Grand Slam Track heads to Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, each event adding to its rising prestige
and excitement. For Kerr, the momentum is only just beginning.
“I think we’ll reach a point where these meets will become like Grand Slams in tennis or majors in golf, and ultimately, the most important of the year,” he predicted.
“Whoever’s winning these long-term is going to be seen as the best runner in the world. That’s why I’m here. And we’re going to be able to show that.”