The Grand Slam Track League: Coming in 2025
by Melinda Burris
In February of this year, Michael Johnson, a former Olympic star sprinter, with four gold medals to his name, announced the creation of a new track league known as Grand Slam Track (GST). The inaugural season will kick off this April and will continue through September 2025. 1
In a press release promoting the new league and all it has to offer, Johnson remarked, “I am delighted to finally unveil Grand Slam Track to the millions of track fans around the world…We are excited to launch this new platform for the planet’s greatest racers in this sport we all love…1
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Michael’s words leave little doubt that he believes this new format will spearhead the way to “…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.”1
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the first athlete recruited to the GST team shares Michael’s enthusiasm, proclaiming, “I’m honored to be one of the first racers in Grand Slam Track.” Mclaughlin-Levrone is an Olympic champion in the 400m hurdles. He is also a world record holder. Sydney’s invitation to join the team exemplifies the type of top-notch athletic talent the GST organization is seeking.1
Over the 24 years since Johnson quit participating in track, several of his colleagues and friends had approached him about taking a role in the official organization of the sport, but he refused as he didn’t care for the current structure. Michael had prioritized his role as an entrepreneur for almost a quarter of a century and that’s the arena he felt most comfortable in.1
However, his feelings changed once he noticed, “We’re seeing unprecedented investment in sports in general from an investment standpoint and media standpoint. There’s an insatiable appetite for sport around the world.” This, for Johnson, represented the best of both worlds; he could concentrate on track as a business endeavor while also bringing greater attention to the sport he still loves.1
As Michael puts it, “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.” 1
How GST Racing is Set Up
The GST plans to host a series of four meets (referred to as Slams, similar to Grand Slam events in tennis) that will host 96 athletes who have been invited to attend. Three of the meets will take place in the United States, and one in Jamaica. Johnson, along with his team, will sign 48 competitors as their core group of GST racers. The teams will consist of six groups of male racers and six groups of female racers.1,3
These groups will then compete in six event groups at four meets sponsored by GST each year. The GST Racing Committee votes on which athletes will be invited to participate in the annual Slam events. In terms of compensation, racers earn an annual base salary and are also eligible to earn prize money. To receive their base compensation, all racers must compete in all four Slams.1,3 The racers’ contracts also stipulate they “can earn a slice of group licensing and revenue opportunities” in addition to their base pay and prize money won. The games are run on a point system wherein athletes earn points based on the order in which they finish the race. The winner of the slam group events is calculated by adding the scores of each participant, and then the winner of each event is established by reviewing the highest combined score from the two races.3
For the Slam events, athletes will be placed into one group out of the six total based on their event. For instance, runners in the 100 and 200 will make up a group followed by a group that specializes in the 110-meter hurdles and open 100; hurdlers competing in the 200 and 400; a fourth group that does the 400-meter hurdles and open 400; a fifth group devoted to 800 and 1500 meters; the final group will contend in the 3,000 and 5,000. All athletes are required to compete in both events in the meets. These slams are slated to take place over the course of three days, and each athlete will compete in two events over those three days.
When it comes to deciding whom to invite to participate in each year’s meets, the GST Racing Committee strongly favors and actively recruits racers who have won recognition in the form of global championship titles and medals. Athletes who rank in the top 10 of their event and have an established worldwide fan base are also sought after.1
This is something Johnson surely appreciates as he has had a multi-award-winning career that has garnered him eight World Championships, eight Golden League Meeting wins, three national championships, and four Olympic medals. He is also a two time Grand Prix Finale winner and a double national indoor champion. Michael was also recognized with two NCAA national awards.2
While some sports writers openly ponder whether Johnson’s Grand Slam Track League will succeed, mentioning previous failed attempts by others to change the traditional track and field structure, Johnson remains optimistic. Part of the reason for his positive outlook is the feedback the organization has been receiving: “We’re talking to all of the broadcasters out there, on all sides globally, as well, but with a heavy focus here in the U.S.,” Johnson said. “There’s been great interest and excitement about what we’re bringing from the television broadcasters. So that’s been very validating for us.” In addition, Johnson has secured $30 million from investors and other strategic partners, which will help pay the prize money, which includes $100,000 for first-place finishers in each event in each meet.
One criticism of Johnson’s plan is that GST meets will not include any field events. Johnson’s logic is that one of the main problems with track & field meets is that there are too many things going on at once, causing confusion among audience members, especially casual fans. By excluding field events, Johnson feels that fans can give their full attention to the events taking place on the track, which is what these athletes deserve, according to Johnson.
References:
- Chavez, C. (18 June 2024). Everything You Need to Know about Grand Slam Track: Michael Johnson League Details.
- USA Track & Field. (2024). Athlete Bio of Michael Johnson.
- Greif, Andrew. (20 June 2024). Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track Starts Fast. Will It Succeed Where Others Have Failed?
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