The world of track and field was left stunned last month when the Grand Slam Track (GST) abruptly pulled the plug on its highly anticipated Los Angeles meet.
The cancellation came as a bitter blow to athletes and fans alike, who had followed the league’s promising run through Kingston, Miami, and Philadelphia.
Now, amid mounting frustrations over unpaid prize money and stalled commitments, one of the sport’s most influential voices, Alexis Ohanian, has stepped into the fray.
In a report published by Front Office Sports on July 12, Ohanian, the founder of Athlos NYC and a passionate advocate for athlete-first track leagues, publicly criticized GST for its failure to honor financial promises made to athletes.
“No one is celebrating this. No one wants to see less investment in the sport,” Ohanian remarked.
But it was his searing commentary on the financial mismanagement behind the scenes that struck a deeper chord.
“Nothing could prepare me for the broke-ness that exists in the infrastructure around this sport, and the sort of low-integrity behavior. … It’s sad.”
When Grand Slam Track launched, it promised to revolutionize professional athletics with a bold financial model, $12.6 million in total prize money, guaranteed salaries for 48 core athletes, and lucrative appearance fees for one-off racers. Winners of each event group stood to take home $100,000, a payday unheard of in conventional track meets.
But with the cancellation of the LA meet and the Philly 5K, GST reportedly saved over $3 million, yet many athletes are still awaiting payment for their appearances and victories in previous stops.
GST executive Kyle Merber attempted to calm tensions through a statement, noting that prize payments for Kingston would be made by the end of July, with outstanding balances, including appearance fees for the nixed LA event, to follow by the end of September.
Still, skepticism lingers. The situation escalated last week when Gabby Thomas, a triple Olympic gold medalist and one of GST’s marquee athletes, left a pointed comment under a league TikTok video: “Pls pay me.”
In the midst of the controversy, eyes have turned to Alexis Ohanian, who seems determined to lead the sport in a different direction. Following the successful debut of Athlos NYC last year, Ohanian is now doubling down on a fan-centered, athlete-driven model for track and field.
In 2026, he plans to launch a new team-based women’s track and field league, staged across major U.S. cities, prioritizing transparency, innovation, and athlete ownership.
Athlos is a movement. Star athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, and Tara Davis-Woodhall are advisor-owners, actively shaping the league’s direction. The anticipation is already palpable.
On May 29, Thomas tweeted, “I dreamt about Athlos last night,” while Sha’Carri’s emphatic “It’s time!” on X captured the collective readiness for change.
As Grand Slam Track grapples with financial controversies and disillusioned athletes, Ohanian’s vision offers a hopeful blueprint for the future.
