After months of mounting frustration over unpaid prize money, track and field athletes competing in the Grand Slam Track (GST) series, including American sprint star Gabby Thomas, are finally seeing signs of progress in the long-awaited payment saga.
The 2025 GST series had promised athletes a generous total purse of US$12.6 million spread across four meetings, with winners expected to take home $100,000 per event.
However, controversy erupted when the Los Angeles leg was abruptly canceled due to disappointing ticket sales, weak broadcast partnerships, and insufficient sponsorships, reportedly saving GST around $3 million. Since then, many of the athletes, including Thomas and her fellow stars, have been left waiting for their prize money.
Agent Speaks on the Delays
In a recent interview with CVMTV, shared by journalist Jordan Forte on X (formerly Twitter), renowned athletics agent Cubie Seegobin shed light on the situation. Seegobin, who represents Jamaican Olympic athlete Roshawn Clarke, explained that delayed payments are unfortunately nothing new in the world of track and field.
“I have received the first quarter payment of the appearance fee for my client, and it’s not abnormal for payments to take a while,” Seegobin stated.
“They’re supposed to pay within 90 days, but most people pay whenever they feel like it. Sometimes it can take six to eight months.”
Seegobin revealed that, shockingly, there’s still unpaid prize money from a 2024 Grand Prix Diamond League meet over a year ago, illustrating the long-standing issues within the sport.
GST Responds with Payment Timeline
Amid growing pressure, GST’s senior director of racing, Kyle Merber, issued a reassuring update:
“Our plan is to make payments for Kingston prize money before the end of July and settle the remaining dues, including Los Angeles appearance fees, by the end of September.”
For athletes like Roshawn Clarke, who secured US$50,000 for his second-place finish in the Men’s Long Hurdles at the Kingston meet, this is welcome news.
Clarke also earned points in other events, including the 400m and 400m hurdles, accumulating a total of 13 points overall.
Athletes Speak Out
Canadian Olympian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, who earned $10,000 in Kingston, confirmed he too has been promised that his money is on the way.
“It might come. Why shouldn’t it come? They have to pay us,” he told reporters following his win at the Bislett Games.
Meanwhile, top stars like Gabby Thomas and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone have voiced their frustrations. Thomas, who earned $180,000 across the first three GST meets, couldn’t resist a pointed comment when Grand Slam Track posted a TikTok celebrating her performances:
“So dope!!! pls pay me,” she replied.
According to Matt Lawton of The Times, several athletes are still owed significant amounts from Kingston, Miami, and Philadelphia, with delays stretching far beyond the usual doping result clearance period that typically holds up prize payments.
While delays in athletics prize money distribution are not new, the GST situation struck a nerve, especially given its high-profile launch and record prize money promises. With assurances now in place for July and September, athletes and their agents remain cautiously optimistic.
For Gabby Thomas and her peers, the long fight for what they rightfully earned might finally be approaching its conclusion, a small but significant victory in the broader struggle for fair and timely compensation in track and field.
