Grand Slam Track … Calling all rivals, challengers and racers … Michael Johnson seeks to shake up the world of track (and field)

June 20, 2024

I’ve been a runner for over 45 years.

In my youth I competed over 1500m and cross country. In those early days I was inspired by local world champion Steve Cram and particularly by Brendan Foster who was a great event innovator, launching the Great North Run in 1981 (yes I was there, running 1 hour 30 as a 14 year old!).

Over the years I’ve continued to follow the sport of track and field athletics, with a passion. I still run, almost every day. The London 2012 Olympics were a pinnacle. In the stadium as Mo Farah won his double gold. Paris was nearly as good. And more recently I sat with World Athletics president Seb Coe, talking about the past, but more about the future.

Running is the world’s highest participation sport. But it is nowhere when it comes to public profile. Rarely does it attract big crowds, or live TV, or big sponsors, or million dollar pay days for champions like in other sports. Why? Because it hasn’t really innovated. As the world has changed beyond recognition in the last 45 years – digital, social, brands, celebrity, global – athletics hasn’t. It’s traditional, can be amazing, but it hasn’t innovated.

And then Michael Johnson, the superstar multi record holder and Olympic gold medallist, announced Grand Slam Track.

Grand Slam Track is a professional track and field league founded by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson. The league was announced in 2024, with its inaugural season set to run from April to September 2025. The concept behind Grand Slam Track is to create a professional, lucrative, and engaging league that focuses on rivalries rather than just times, aiming to draw more attention to the sport.

Michael Johnson, a former 200m and 400m world record-holder, had the idea for Grand Slam Track since the 1990s. He was inspired by how other professional sports leagues, such as the NFL and Formula One, operated and wanted to bring a similar model to track and field. Johnson’s vision was to create a league that would increase the sport’s visibility, attract more fans, and provide athletes with better opportunities and financial rewards.

The development of Grand Slam Track involved securing significant investments, including a $30 million funding round. Johnson also brought on board key personnel, such as former middle-distance runner Kyle Merber as Senior Director of Racing and Olympic champion Morolake Akinosun as Head of Athlete Relations. The league’s structure was designed to resemble other sports leagues, with global athletes competing in a series of events throughout the track season.

It consists of four “grand slam” events or meetings per season, held in different cities: Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Each event features six event categories for both men and women, including short sprints, long sprints, short hurdles, long hurdles, short distance, and long distance. A total of 48 athletes, known as “Racers,” are contracted to compete in one of six event groups in each of the four Slams. Additionally, 48 “Challengers” will compete against the Racers, with the identities of the Challengers changing from Slam to Slam.

Each Racer must participate in two different disciplines at each Slam, and the winner of each event group is determined by the highest point total across both events. The league offers substantial prize money, with the first prize for each Slam being $100,000. The overall prize pool for the season is the highest in the history of track racing.

Grand Slam Track aims to disrupt the traditional track and field landscape in several ways:

Professional League Structure: By creating a professional league with contracted athletes, Grand Slam Track seeks to provide more stability and financial security for athletes. This model is similar to other professional sports leagues and aims to elevate the status of track and field.
Focus on Rivalries: The league emphasiss head-to-head matchups and rivalries rather than just times and records. This approach is designed to create more engaging and exciting competitions for fans.
Increased Visibility and Fan Engagement: Grand Slam Track aims to increase the sport’s visibility through live broadcasts on linear TV and streaming platforms, as well as partnerships with media and betting companies. The league’s focus on storytelling and promoting athletes’ personalities is intended to attract a broader audience.
Global Reach: By hosting events in different cities around the world, Grand Slam Track aims to promote the sport on a global scale and attract international fans.
Innovative Competition Format: The league’s unique format, with athletes competing in multiple disciplines and earning points across events, adds a new layer of strategy and excitement to the competitions.
Financial Incentives: With the highest prize pool in track racing history, Grand Slam Track aims to attract top talent and provide athletes with significant financial rewards.

In summary, Grand Slam Track, seeks to revolutionise the world of track and field by creating a professional league that emphasises rivalries, increases visibility, and provides substantial financial incentives for athletes. The league’s innovative structure and global reach aim to attract more fans and elevate the sport to new heights.

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