Athlos NYC Debuts New Vision for Track – RUN

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Well, there was no golden sunset over Randall’s Island on Thursday night, and the athlete walkout songs were hard to discern, but the Athlos NYC all-women’s pro track meet that promised $60,000 to each of the winners of six races and a Megan Thee Stallion concert still made a promising debut.

There were some hiccups and awkward moments, but for the several thousand fans who showed up at New York City’s Icahn Stadium and anyone around the world who had a phone or computer to tee up the free two-hour livestream, it represented an entertaining start of something new.

As tail lights blinked through the fog across the Harlem River in Manhattan, the stands were about 75 percent full with the anticipation of this first-of-its-kind event that was only dreamed up less than a year ago by entrepreneur and investor Alexis Ohanian. With a massive prize purse and a strong field of competitors—including six gold medalists from the Paris Olympics—Athlos NYC got underway with the dual purpose of putting a new spin on track and field (even though there were no field events in the inaugural event) and elevating some of the sport’s top women performers from around the world.

Enthusiastic spectators came from across the city, drove hours from neighboring states, and even flew in all the way from California to celebrate women’s sports and this unique spectacle of track. They included celebrities, male track stars, coaches, and superfans flashing free LED wristbands and snatching up limited-edition posters.

“We’re the trackiest people ever,” said Jon Fordam of Los Angeles, who was with his buddy Jim Keller of Connecticut.

RELATED: Alexis Ohanian’s Big Bet on Women’s Sports Comes to Women’s Track

Much More Than Track

Even if World Athletics gave the event more credibility in the sport by certifying it as a Continental Tour Silver Label meet a day before the race, few, if any, fans on-site, it seemed, were worried about whether this glitzy DJ-infused blend of athletics and entertainment would be a late-season one-off, never to be repeated.

In fact, more than two hours before the first race, Ohanian told U.S. Olympian Shamier Little,” I’m so hyped,” adding, moments later, “We’re definitely doing this again next year.”

Athlos officials haven’t yet released ticket sales or financial returns (10 percent of which are to be distributed to the athletes), but as the former race director of the New York City Marathon and co-founder of World Marathon Majors Mary Wittenberg said, “As an entrepreneur, I believe the most important thing is just to start.”

“I wouldn’t think they’re even looking to make money this year,” she added. “No sports team makes money out of the blocks, and very few major events do, but you build equity, right?”

As president and CEO of New York Road Runners, Wittenberg oversaw the all-women’s Mini 10K road race and instigated the separate start for women at the New York City Marathon in 2002. She loved the innovative concept. “This is, I think, the really fresh thinking we need.”

Athlos NYC wasn’t the first all-female track meet in the U.S., nor was it the first in New York City. The Colgate Women’s Games has been around since 1974.  But Athlos was certainly a more modern take on a traditional track meet.

Adults lined up to buy mixed drinks like the $15 “Staggered Start,” brisket sliders, and drab-colored Athlos NYC merch—all of which, surprisingly, given the event’s female-first branding, was unisex in style and sizing.

Across the way, while athletes arrived in full makeup, high-fashion and heels—anything but race singlets—hip-hop icon Flavor Flav bounced in, and World Cup champion soccer goalie Ashlyn Harris posed for paparazzi, the least glam person on the black carpet was Ohanian, the event’s mastermind. The 41-year-old Reddit co-founder happily chatted with reporters and influencers one-on-one, in a scrum, on the practice field, or on a podcast. He came with his 7-year-old daughter, Olympia, on the day of her mother’s 43rd birthday, but if the 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion Serena Williams was there—she stayed well out of view.

A wide range of celebrities and legends of the sport were on hand, ranging from 1990s Olympic sprint star Gail Devers, YouTube hit “Hot Ones” host Sean Evans, and British actress Nathalie Joanne Emmanuel. The athletes loved it, and so did the fans, even though the onsite experience got off to a wobbly start.

There was microphone feedback throughout the night, audio from the broadcast sometimes played at the same time as on-stage interviews or was clearly meant to accompany replays that never appeared on the track’s three giant screens, and several fans felt there was significant lag time between the six races.

Puerto Rican athlete Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, the winner of the very first race, may have flinched before the start of the 100-meter hurdles, but no false start was called. The smaller race bibs designed to better fit women’s torsos, were too small to read and could barely fit hyphenated surnames. And the Tiffany & Co. large silver tiaras crafted in the likeness of a track that were awarded to the winners, proved to be a challenge to wear.

Nevertheless, for an event that Ohanian only conceived last winter and was still developing in late June, during the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, “it was pretty impressive what he pulled together,” Fordham said.

A Novel Season Finale

Although the lighting, camera work, and overall production value couldn’t match what NBC pulled off for the Olympics, Athlos NYC did its best to highlight athletes, provide human interest vignettes, and conduct numerous live interviews as a backdrop to the racing. In all, there was less than 8 minutes of combined track action in the six events spread across the two-hour event, and none of the races produced eye-popping results. But as a proof-of-concept event that could build into 2025, it was good enough.

Among the biggest highlights were Olympic champions Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic (400 meters) and Faith Kipyegon of Kenya (1500 meters) winning their specialty events in decisive fashion. The meet paid race winners $60,000—more than the Olympics or the just-completed Diamond League professional circuit—plus the shiny, unwieldy crowns, but also awarded $25,000 for second, $10,000 for third, $8,000 for fourth, $5,000 for fifth, and $2,500 for sixth.

Brittany Brown was the night’s big winner, pocketing $85,000 for less than 34 seconds of running. She placed second behind Ivorian sprinter Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith in the 100 meters, then upset the Paris Olympic champion and Athlos athlete spokesperson Gabby Thomas in the 200, the last race of the night, in 22.18 seconds. Brown, the Olympic bronze medalist in the 200 who last week won the event in the Diamond League final, was the only one of the 35 athletes to do double duty.

More than money, the Athlos NYC event aimed for first-class in everything it did—including picking up athletes at the airport in private cars and hiring  Williams’ WYN Beauty to do hair and makeup for athletes prior to competition.

Cory McGee, a two-time U.S. Olympian who finished fifth in the 1500 on Thursday, lauded the event for its organization and thoughtful touchpoints.

“It’s probably expensive, but it makes a difference,” McGee said. “Yesterday we did a photo shoot, some videography, got our hair and makeup done with all the WYN products, got back and had a bunch of gifts in the room. Even today, being greeted by masses, cheering. Usually we just get, like, funneled into a hallway, hang out for a few minutes, then go do our warm up. It just felt more connected to the community.”

“I felt like a princess the whole time,” said Natoya Goule-Toppin of Jamaica, who placed third in 800 behind the Paris Olympic silver and bronze medalists, Tsige Duguma (1:57.43) and Mary Moraa of Kenya (1:58.05), respectively. “From the beginning til now, I felt like royalty. Everything was first class, even the photo shoots.”

As the meet ended and Grammy-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion began her half-hour set, the 2024 track season—one of the most spectacular in history—came to a close. Amid the eight-month season that included the most-watched Olympics in history, the emergence of new stars, and dozens of thrilling events, Athlos NYC made its mark and produced optimism that there will be more to come.

“The attention to detail here has been incredible,” said U.S. Olympian Nia Akins, who finished sixth in the 800-meter race on Thursday. “It’s not like other meets don’t do that. It’s just like, here, they really care. And as a female in the sport, it’s super validating and really cool, because we don’t get that many opportunities to just shine on our own.”