Details of Michael Johnson’s New Track League Unveiled – Grand Slam Track Will Feature 4 Meets Each With $3 Million+ In Prize Money Where Stars Must Double
Grand Slam Track will have a total of $12.6m of prize money that will be awarded across the slams each year in addition to the base compensation and appearance fees paid to racers.
By Robert JohnsonToday Winners Alliance announced the details behind the new track league where Michael Johnson is the front man. The full press release appears below.
US Olympic Hero Michael Johnson Launches GRAND SLAM TRACK™, a Revolutionary Track League to Elevate the Sport’s Global Footprint; Signs Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone as GST’s First “Racer”
Grand Slam Track will center around fan-focused storytelling and promotion of track’s biggest stars, with competition to begin in 2025
Los Angeles, CA (June 18, 2024) – Four-time US Olympic Champion Michael Johnson today officially launched Grand Slam Track™, the new global home of professional track competition. This new league will usher in a new era of professional track for the global fanbase of 2.5 billion people worldwide and provide undiscovered opportunities for fan engagement, sponsorship, and elite competition for racers.
The league will host four annual Slams during the spring and summer season in four global cities. The inaugural Slam will take place in April 2025, followed by three more Slams over the summer months. Los Angeles will serve as the global home for Grand Slam Track, and host one of the Slam events. There will be one further Slam that will take place in the United States, and two in international locations. The other host cities will be announced and celebrated in their respective local markets later this summer.
“I am delighted to finally unveil Grand Slam Track to the millions of track fans around the world,” said Michael Johnson, the league’s founder who will serve as Commissioner. “We are excited to launch this new platform for the planet’s greatest racers in this sport we all love. Our team has worked tirelessly to design and build a product that will be loved by fans and provide opportunities for our racers that they truly deserve. We’re revolutionizing the track landscape, allowing our sport to remain at the forefront of the sporting world year round, and pushing our superstar racers to break new ground in their personal storytelling, competitive success, and marketability. Grand Slam Track is going to take our sport to new heights, and we want you to come along for the ride.”
Grand Slam Track also today announced the signing of US Olympic Champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone as its first Racer. McLaughlin-Levrone is a two-time Olympic gold medal winner and is the world record holder for the 400 meter hurdles.
“I’m honored to be one of the first Racers in Grand Slam Track,” said Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone . “Michael’s vision is clear, and he’s exactly the leader this sport needs to break new ground. I am thrilled to be a part of this league and look forward to everything we have coming in the future. I firmly believe that this is the step forward that track needs to take it to another level, and I can’t wait to get to work with the team.”
Each year, 48 athletes will be named to the league as GST Racers. These racers are selected by the Grand Slam Track Racing Committee based on a combination of factors to include the fastest and best racers in each race group, with a focus on fierce rivalries and thrilling competitive racing. GST Racers commit to racing in all four Slams per year. They will receive an annual base compensation for racing in each Slam and are eligible for full prize money. These GST Racers will receive annual contracts, access to the GST content and data services team, inclusion in the league collective, group licensing and new revenue opportunities, plus access to world class athlete support services throughout the season. GST racers are compensated under contract to race and promote the league and receive additional marketing and branding support.
The remaining 48 racers will be known as GST Challengers and will be paid a set appearance fee to compete at individual Slams. GST Challengers are chosen by the Grand Slam Track Racing Committee based on a combination of factors including recent performances, and the most intriguing athletes and matchups.
Racers and Challengers will be assigned to compete in one of the following categories, and will all race in two events during each Slam: short sprints (100m/200m), short hurdles (100H or 110H/100m), long sprints (200m/400m), long hurdles (400H/400m), short distance (800m/1500m), or long distance (3000m/5000m). All competitors’ final placement score will be determined by their combined finishing order between the two races. In the event of a tie across the two events, it will be the athlete who had the quickest combined time across the two races who will be deemed the winner. The winner of each Slam group will take home $100,000 in prize money, and the 8th place competitor will earn $10,000. Grand Slam Track will have a total of $12.6m of prize money that will be awarded across the slams each year in addition to the base compensation and appearance fees paid to racers.
The focus of Grand Slam Track is on head to head competition, not winning times. There will be no rabbits or pacing lights. Each Slam is equally as important as any other, will have its own prize purse, and will be independently scored, with points and previous finishes not carrying over to the following Slams. All racers will compete twice over the three-day event, and all Slam events will meet World Athletics regulations, with achieved marks being eligible for rankings and standards.
Racers will compete in their own sponsored kits, without traditional hip numbers or bibs. Racers and Challengers are encouraged to work with their sponsors to create customized kits, in their own desired style. Grand Slam Track has no affiliation or sponsorship agreement with any shoe company; all shoe companies are considered to be important stakeholders and partners in the promotion of our racers.
Grand Slam Track has secured more than $30 million in financial commitments from investors and strategic partners for the launch of the league. Winners Alliance, a global, athlete-centric commercial solution and Johnson’s operating partner, was the lead investor in the first fundraising close for the new venture. The investment in the league will aid in Johnson’s ultimate goal: to develop better engagement with fans by promoting track and field’s biggest stars and reaching new audiences with unique, innovative storytelling.
Ticket sales information will be released in due course. For further information, please follow @GrandSlamTrack on all social media platforms, and visit grandslamtrack.com.
Talk about the league on our world-famous messageboard: MB: Michael Johnson Track League unveiled – Grand Slam Track will require athletes to double in siloed event groups
About Michael Johnson
Born in Dallas, Texas, Michael Johnson is a Hall of Fame track and field star, universally recognized as one of the greatest sprinters of all time. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships across his career, and held world and Olympic records in both the 200m and 400m races. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Johnson became the first and only male athlete to win the Gold medal in both the 200m and 400m at the same Olympics. Since retiring from active competition, Johnson has become a serial entrepreneur and investor, as well as highly sought after performance mindset speaker and an award winning television commentator. Johnson has been a pundit for the BBC’s coverage of every Olympics Games since Athens 2004, and remains a key voice on, and advocate for the sport. Johnson was inducted into the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004.
