Athlos NYC kicked off with a bang, and Alexis Ohanian’s revolutionary all-women track and field event turned out to be a massive success. Tired of seeing the sport plagued by pay disparities, Ohanian, the tech mogul, came up with a game-changing idea: an event that paid female athletes what they’re truly worth. And with a prize pool of $500,000, he delivered!

One athlete who capitalized big-time was Brittany Brown. For her stellar performance, Brown walked away with a jaw-dropping $85,000 in prize money and was crowned—quite literally—with a Tiffany & Co. crown. She dominated the 200-meter race, leaving Gabby Thomas and Anavia Battle in her dust. Brown also snagged a second-place finish in the 100m, which added to her impressive earnings.

In a tweet following the event, Brown couldn’t help but compare her Athlos NYC payday to the base shoe contract amounts earned by professional track athletes—making it clear how groundbreaking this event was. Clearly, the prize money caught everyone’s attention. Even US track star Vernon Norwood couldn’t resist getting in on the action—well, sort of.

In a hilarious twist, Norwood posted on X, pitching his idea for joining Athlos. “Next year I’m pulling up with my wig on. I need a lane,” he joked. Ohanian responded hilariously as he suggested Norwood turn up in a trackside shoe and dancing shoes, ditching the spikes. But Norwood wasn’t done yet—he went on to suggest that his ‘twin sister,’ Veronica, should also get a shot at Athlos. According to him, she’s a track veteran who can run the 100, 200, 400, and 800m.

Ohanian? Not fooled one bit. With a side-eye emoji, he shut down Norwood’s playful scheme, leaving us all laughing at the idea of Vernon (or Veronica) on the Athlos track next year. Meanwhile, jokes apart, the Athlos was truly a one-of-a-kind event.

Featuring the likes of Faith Kipyegon, Gabby Thomas, and more, the meet bore testament to the awakening of female sports. Trying to build a secure future for female athletes, Alexis Ohanian wanted to encourage budding female athletes. The tech mogul wanted the athletes to keep pursuing their dreams without any financial stress. Interestingly, it all started with his daughter, Olympia. 

Alexis Ohanian enjoys the success as Athlos stands tall

Fascinated by the fast-paced world of track and field, Ohanian’s daughter Olympia wants to be a track star. However, her mother, tennis legend Serena Williams, did not approve of the idea initially. Looking at the meager pay that female athletes receive, Williams wanted her daughter to get paid according to her worth. And thus, Ohanian came up with the idea of introducing an all-female event.

After the success of the initial edition, a beaming Ohanian stated, “Sell out crowd, Thursday night. You know we’re going head to head with Thursday night football and winning. Because people want to watch women’s sports and I love the fact, we’re going head to head in a city as amazing as New York and coming out on top with a packed crowd.”

The Athlos also introduced a series of unique features that included providing the athletes with translators. Highlighting the benefits of the feature on X Tiara Williams, the host of Real Talk With Tee heaped praise on Alexis Ohanian. Being able to interact with the 400m champion, Marileidy Paulino, the interviewer seemed elated as this was the first interview with the champion. Thus, with a number of good things coming Athlos’ way, it is only a matter of time before they add more feathers to their hat.