Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track is still fresh in everyone’s memory, the attractive money rewards were arguably the meet’s selling point. As a retired track sensation, Johnson understood the importance of pumping more money into track. Hence, GST promised something for everybody, incentivizing the sport in a never-seen-before fashion. Right after the conclusion of the first leg of the Grand Slam Track at Kingston in Jamaica, the track and field world is buzzing again, but with frustration, and it’s not hard to see why. On April 11, 2025, NBC Sports Director, Travis Miller, dropped a bombshell on X, unveiling the prize money structure for the 2025 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold events, and the numbers are far from encouraging.

$5,000 for first place in core events (minimum of 8 competitors), $3,000 for second, $2,000 for third, down to a measly $300 for eighth. For additional events (minimum of 6), it’s $3,500 for first, $2,000 for second, $1,400 for third, and $300 for sixth. The announcement sparked immediate backlash. The track community, already vocal about the sport’s struggles, feels this is a slap in the face to athletes who dedicate their lives to the grind. But just how embarrassing are these figures for a sport that shines on the global stage? Let’s break it down.

For athletes who pour their hearts into every sprint, jump, and throw, the 2025 Continental Tour Gold prize money feels like a cruel joke. Imagine training year-round, battling injuries, and sacrificing everything for a shot at glory—only to earn $5,000 for a first-place finish in a core event. That barely covers a month of coaching, travel, and recovery costs for most elite athletes.

Meanwhile, eighth place gets $300, less than the cost of a decent pair of spikes. The disparity becomes all the more prominent when you consider the sport’s global reach; track and field is a cornerstone of the Olympics, yet its athletes are scraping by on payouts that feel more like participation trophies than rewards for excellence. So, how does this stack up against other sports and even recent track events that are shelling out big bucks?

While World Athletics seems stuck in the past, other leagues and events are stepping up in a big way, raising serious questions about their priorities. Take Athlos NYC, a women-only track event held in September 2024, which offered a jaw-dropping $60,000 for first-place finishers in every event, dwarfing the Continental Tour Gold’s top prize. Then there’s Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, boasting a $12.6 million total prize pool across its season, with racers earning base compensation and challengers getting per-Slam fees.

Even the Diamond League, a staple in track and field, hands out $30,000 for first place at its final—six times more than the Continental Tour Gold’s core event payout. Football’s UEFA Champions League distributes a staggering $2.7 billion annually outside of the track. With high-profile events and other sports investing heavily in their athletes, the track community is left wondering: Why can’t World Athletics keep up?  Fans on X weighed in and didn’t hold back.

Track fans’ resentment pours out

“Wtf is with the prizes? it’s shameful,” one of the fans wrote. The track and field community is up in arms, and they’re not holding back. The reaction was swift and brutal, with fans taking to X to voice their outrage. From disbelief to calls for action, the track community is united in their frustration. Let’s dive into the firestorm of responses that erupted online.

The disbelief hit hard right out of the gate. “WTF I’m dying after seeing these numbers,” one fan exclaimed, capturing the sheer shock of seeing such low payouts for a sport that demands so much. A first-place prize of $5,000 might sound decent to some, but for elite athletes who travel the world, train relentlessly, and compete at the highest level, it’s a drop in the bucket. Worse, the $300 for eighth place is practically an insult—barely enough to cover a post-race meal. Fans are clearly stunned that World Athletics (WA) would offer such paltry sums, especially when the sport has been making strides globally. But the shock quickly turned into something deeper—what does this say about how WA values its athletes?

That question didn’t take long to answer. “Man do they have no consideration for athletes,” another fan vented, pointing to a glaring disconnect between World Athletics and the competitors who make the sport what it is. The sentiment cuts deep: athletes sacrifice everything—time, money, their bodies—for a shot at glory, yet these prizes barely cover the basics. so why does the Continental Tour Gold feel like a step backward? Fans are starting to see this not just as a low payout, but as a sign of neglect. And that neglect is sparking calls for action.

The anger escalated as fans began to rally against the injustice. “This is chump change, people need to stand against this,” one fan declared, urging the community to push back against what they see as an unacceptable slight. The term “chump change” hits the nail on the head—$300 for eighth place isn’t a prize; it’s a dismissal of the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to even qualify for these events. Fans are fed up, and they’re not just venting—they’re demanding change. The track community has always been passionate, but this prize money debacle has lit a fire under them. So, how far does their frustration go?

At the heart of the outrage is a sense of embarrassment for the sport they love. “This is shameful, WA needs to do better,” another fan insisted, directly calling out World Athletics for failing to step up. Amid such frustrations, what lies ahead for the track community? Will World Athletics pay heed to such outrage and introduce a drastic change in its reward system? That’s for us to see!