Alexis Ohanian has a knack for seeing potential where others see uncertainty. As the co-founder of Reddit and a principal at venture firm 776, he has built an impressive portfolio, backing more than 40 unicorns, including giants like Coinbase, Instacart, and HubSpot. Now, Ohanian—also known as Serena Williams’ husband—is setting his sights on women’s sports with his latest endeavor, Athlos. So, how did Alexis Ohanian land on track and field as his latest project?

It turns out, a lot of it was sparked by his interactions with athletes like Gabby Thomas. According to Ohanian, he was influenced by Thomas. Well, Alexis recently shared on X, which included an interview with Citius Mag. In the interview, Ohanian noted, “I saw that. I thought, oh well, that’s stupid, but amazing how much you know. I know why. Big reason why the market is undervalued is because they’re running it in—not a very cultural thing. How many people watching sports do you?

The truth is, even the fastest man in the world earns far less than athletes in major pro sports leagues—unless you factor in his endorsements and appearance fees.

He further added, “So, imagine my surprise when I talk to stars like that, Thomas, and they explain to me, for instance, that you know, that’s hot. Top top prize seasonally is $30,000. That’s not a lot of money, especially if you’re a professional athlete. You gotta imagine, run that down a list, right? It is very, very, very, very hard to perform full-time, just focused on your track and fields for you’re getting paid that.”

He saw this as a clear opportunity. Ohanian thought, “OK, here’s an opportunity. You just double the price: $60,000 for the top prize for one race. You have multiple—just one. Make this the largest first-history track grant dot announcement.” As he continued talking to athletes and learning more, his confidence in the project only grew stronger.  It focuses on just six track disciplines while creating a Coachella-like experience for fans. More importantly, it’s raising the financial stakes, offering a total prize pool of $500,000, with $60,000 going to each event winner—a significant increase from the $30,000 top prize in current elite competitions.

Ohanian has highlighted the unique challenges women’s sports face, pointing out that they’ve often struggled to fit into traditional systems not built with them in mind. This event isn’t just another meet; it’s a bold move to create excitement for track and field beyond the Olympic cycle and elevate women athletes to new heights. Athlos aims to set a new standard, much like top leagues in sports but these top league offer less, Athlos is stepping up with much more substantial rewards, raising the bar for what athletes can earn.

Athletes like Gabby Thomas and others have chance to earn more from other new league

World Athletics will reward a $2.4 million fund to  Paris Olympic gold medalists with $50,000 each, across 48 events. But that’s not all! Even the Diamond League, a major player in track and field, also offers rewards but they aren’t as good as new leagues: at the finals, first-place finishers receive $30,000, with additional prizes for top finishers ranging from $12,000 for second place to $1,000 for eighth place.

New ventures like Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos are really shaking things up, similar to how Michael Johnson is making waves with his upcoming Grand Slam Track league, launching in April 2025. This exciting new league will offer a top prize of $100,000 and has a hefty prize fund of $12.6 million spread across four annual events, including two in the U.S. Athletes will compete in two races per event, with 48 athletes signed on for the league. It looks like track and field is on the verge of a major upgrade and is about to get a lot more recognition.