The women’s only track meet in NYC features the Olympic champions, the money is huge

Thursday night’s New York City track meet will be unlike any other, featuring high stakes, celebrity entertainers, silver crowns instead of gold medals and an all-female field.

Describe another women’s sports win.

Newly crowned Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas and company help the track take a big step forward by running in the first Athlos competition at 7:30 pm, featuring the fastest women in the world.

To even take the first line, help goes to Alex Morgan and his 2019 World Cup-winning US soccer team. Another help for basketball standouts are Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese as well.

Because Alexis Ohanian, the founder of Reddit and husband of Serena Williams, was told that no one will listen to women’s sports.

He begged to differ. It led to the launch of Athlos, which will distribute more than $500,000 US in prize money and distribute 10 percent of all profits to the athletes. There will also be a performance by Grammy Award-winning singer Megan Thee Stallion.

“We’re outsiders to track and field, so we’re coming in humble. Our priority is to do right by these athletes,” Ohanian said of the event, which will be held at Icahn Stadium and sponsored by the athletes. Seven Seven Six, a venture capital firm he founded.

“I don’t want to belittle it, but the main reason why women’s sports have been postponed is because of the lack of investment. But now it is too important to ignore.

“Yes, everyone is watching the women’s games and now it’s just a question of which one.”

‘Everything is focused on us’

For hurdler Alaysha Johnson, the women’s only meet felt like the perfect way to cap off a long season that included Diamond League races, the US Olympic trials and the Paris Games.

“It makes us feel like we’re ahead,” Johnson said. “Everything is focused on us.”

Athlos, a Greek word that translates as “athlete,” will have 100, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1,500 hurdles. It will be broadcast on X-platform, YouTube and ESPN-plus , and rebroadcast on ESPN2 over the weekend.

Among the big names included are reigning Olympic champions Thomas (200), Masai Russell (hurdles), Marileidy Paulino (400) and Faith Kipyegon (1,500).

“I was in the elevator [other athletes] and it’s like, ‘Wow, look at us. We’re really making an impact,”‘ said Johnson, an Olympic finalist in the 100 relay. “People believe in us, they put their money and their dollars behind us. That shows that we are important in this game.”

More money is on the way

These days, there is money to be made in line and field:

• The great athlete Michael Johnson entered the space with the Grand Slam Track, which will hold four races a year from 2025, with prizes of $ 100,000 for the top finishers.
• World Athletics has announced the first Ultimate Championships to be hosted in Budapest in 2026 and showcase the best in the sport.
• The Diamond League, the annual track and field series, plans to increase its gender-equal prize money next season, with total prize money in each discipline between $30,000 and $50,000; and in the final between $60,000 and $100,000.

Ohanian is banking on a spot on Athlos’ docket, too. He believes the convention could be just the starting point, awarding the winner $60,000 and a crown designed by Tiffany & Co.

Flashback to 2019: Ohanian found herself in a storm on social media when she mentioned how women’s sports were being overlooked following the US Women’s World Cup victory. Morgan and others responded with a basic message: Don’t just talk about it, be it.

That led Ohanian to invest in Angel City FC, a team in the National Women’s Soccer League.

“What made me so happy about starting the (football) team is because I see how these women become famous every four years and then disappear,” said Ohanian. “It made no sense to me. I was like, ‘There’s an opportunity here to make sure these stars are visible all year round.’

Another big factor: Clark and Reese’s popularity. Last April, Clark and his Iowa team defeated Reese and LSU in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Women’s Tournament, averaging 12.3 million viewers on ESPN, according to Nielsen. At the time it was one of the most watched games of any sport outside of NFL football in the past year.

“Female athletes, especially this new generation, are getting a lot of attention,” Ohanian said. “It’s not consistent with how it’s been historically invested.”

Measuring interest in the track

About a year ago, more and more snippets of the song started appearing on Ohanian’s social media. The idea: To show the women who are competing. He interviewed about a dozen athletes and asked questions outside the box.

“I was trying to learn about the game,” he explained.

One of the first to put his hand up to participate was Thomas, a Harvard-educated athlete who won three gold medals in Paris.

“That told me everything I needed to know,” he said of Thomas’ interest. “One of my favorite things about building something has been seeing how often people can say to me, ‘Because that’s how it’s always been done.’

“Whenever you hear that as an entrepreneur, you just get really excited. If you’re doing something because it’s always been done that way, it’s the worst reason to do something.

“You want to do something because it’s actually the best way to solve whatever problem you’re trying to solve. We looked at Athlos through that lens.”