Athlos Announces London Debut in 2026
Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson was among the event winners presented with a crown by Serena Williams at Athlos in 2025.
The all-female track meet Athlos will make its London debut in 2026 as it expands into a two-day event. Its founder envisions the competition becoming the "Formula 1 of track and field." Created by Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder and husband of tennis' 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams, Athlos will also return to New York for a third consecutive year.
Alongside a prize fund of $2.1 million (£1.5 million), athletes will be offered equity in the league, allowing them to benefit financially if the competition succeeds.
American stars Sha'Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, Tara Woodhall-Davis, Masai Russell, and Dominican sprinter Marileidy Paulino have been confirmed for the events at StoneX Stadium in Barnet, home of rugby union side Saracens, on 18 September, followed by the Icahn Stadium in New York two weeks later.
"I've long been very obsessed with this 'F1 for track and field' analogy. We come to expect the fastest cars in the world to tour the greatest global cities, and for people to come out and watch and celebrate this excellence," Ohanian told .
"I envision Athlos to be a version of that and, as we grow this league, I'd love to add more cities and make Athlos truly global.
"Whatever we do, we're going to do it with our athletes as partners - but our ambition is big. I don't see any reason why Athlos can't be a mainstay of the sporting calendar."
Equity Partnership with Athletes
The financial challenges faced by Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track during its inaugural season last year are well documented. However, Ohanian is determined to bridge the "historic gap" between the economics of women's track and field and the exceptional talent within the sport.
Athlos is fully owned by Ohanian's venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, which manages assets worth $900 million (£670 million). Despite this, athletes will receive equity stakes, enabling them to share in the league's potential success.
"The cash compensates their participation and success, and the equity recognises what we're building together. If we get this right, it should properly place these amazing athletes on the same level as they are every four years during the Olympics," said Ohanian.
"This equity is a way for us to have a real partnership. These are the athletes who are the first movers, the ones who are taking a leap and helping us get this started."
Ohanian prioritized athlete input from the beginning, engaging individuals such as Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas via social media well before Athlos' inaugural 2024 season.
Against the backdrop of planned protests by leading tennis players over prize money at the French Open, Thomas, a Harvard graduate with aspirations to run her own hospital after her athletic career, said Athlos was sending "a real signal."
"We get a share in what we're helping to build and that's really rare in this sport," Thomas told .
"How can we fail as a league when we have the athletes as partners and helping to build it? We know the sport better than anyone."
"When a young girl watches me race, I want them to see a sport where women are treated with respect and with the economics that we've always deserved, and have something to aspire to.
"The narrative growing up was that you can't run professional track and field, there's nothing in it. I like that we're rewriting that.
"We're creating this version of the sport where young girls can have something to look forward to."
Event Details and Future Ambitions
Seven disciplines will be contested in both London and New York: 100m hurdles, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, mile, and long jump. An athlete's combined points across events will determine the overall winner.
Competitors can earn up to $65,000 (£48,500) per individual event, with overall champions receiving an additional $25,000 (£18,600). Therefore, an athlete winning in both cities could earn up to $155,000 (£115,000).
Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson was among the winners at the 2025 meet, where some of the world's fastest women competed amid a lively atmosphere at a packed Icahn Stadium. The event featured live music and Tiffany & Co crowns presented by Serena Williams, replacing traditional medals.
After introducing the London event in 2026, Ohanian aims to develop Athlos into a worldwide, season-long league. This ambition has been discussed with the sport's governing body and key partners, including World Athletics.
"I'm at a very fortunate place in my career in my life where I don't want to do anything small. I want to do things that have big impacts, that are about legacy," said Ohanian, who acquired a 10% stake in Women's Super League football team Chelsea last year.
"We know we're entering into something really ambitious. Ultimately we want to build a league around athletics, which historically has not had commercial success. This is a big moment for us."
