Grand Slam Track Circuit kicks off on April 4 in Kingston, Jamaica

The new Grand Slam Track Circuit kicks off on April 4 in Kingston, Jamaica. The North American event is hosted by four-time Olympic and eight-time world champion in the 200m and 400m and with the US 4x400m relay team Michael Johnson.

The circuit will feature a prize pool of 12.6 million USD and will feature four races to the summer, with the remaining three races taking place in American in Miami (May 2-4), Philadelphia (May 30-June 1) and Los Angeles (June 27-29).

It will be a direct competitor to the Diamond League, which includes 15 rounds on four continents and as of this season has a total prize money of 9 million USD, although the Grand Slam Track program includes only running disciplines in six categories – short sprint (100m and 200m), short hurdles (100m hurdles and 110m hurdles), long sprint (200m and 400m), long hurdles (400m hurdles), middle distance running (800m and 1,500m) and long distance running (3,000m and 5,000m).

“Track and field athletes have been criticized in recent years for not doing enough to promote their sport. My position is that they are just doing their job on the track. Someone else has to create a structure and present it attractively enough to attract the necessary interest and from there commercialize it”, said Michael Johnson, 57, a former 200m world record holder.

The first three-day round of the series will be broadcast on television in 189 countries.

“I will try to build a bridge between the sport and the opportunities for its development, which I believe are enormous. I think the series can become the Formula 1 of running disciplines”, said also Michael Johnson. He added that the aim is to expand the series to include races in Europe and Asia if the first edition this season is successful.

A total of 96 male and female athletes will compete in the Grand Slam Track events, eight in each category. 48 of them are regulars for four rounds and are current track and field stars and champions, while the rest will be up-and-coming talents or contenders who will challenge them in single-elimination matches. Each athlete will compete in two events and earn points that will determine the final standings in six categories, with the winner of each event earning 100,000 USD.

Among the established names are Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400m hurdles Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA), world champion in the 1,500m Josh Kerr (Great Britain), Olympic champion in the 400m Quincy Hall (USA), Olympic champion in the 200m Gabrielle Thomas (USA), world champion in the 800m Mary Moraa (Kenya), Olympic and world champion in the 400m Marileidy Paulino (Dominican Republic), Olympic champion in the 1,500m Cole Hocker (USA), Olympic vice-champion in the 100m Kenny Bednarek (USA), and others.

However, the absence of some of the big stars of track and field is also noticeable, including Olympic 100m champions Noah Lyles (USA) in the men’s race and Julien Alfred (Santa Lucia) in the women’s race, Olympic and world champion in the 110m hurdles Grant Holloway (USA), Olympic champion in the 5,000m and 10,000m Beatrice Chebet (Kenya) and Norwegian runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who is current Olympic, world and European champion in the 5,000m, gold medalist in the 1,500m from Tokyo 2020 Olympics and world record holder in the 3,000m.