Alexis Ohanian is no stranger to the track and field world. Above all, he’s a visionary who has dared to dream and strike gold. In April this year, the Reddit Co-founder announced that his firm Seven Seven Six would be investing in women’s track and field. This initiative will be called the 776 Invitational. Looking to eradicate the disparity women athletes face, Ohanian wanted to put his two cents in to drive it in the right direction. This move was celebrated by many fans and fellow athletes alike!

The Track and Field U.S. Olympic Trials took place at Hayward Field from 21st-30th June. Fans witnessed a thrilling show of skills, before cheering loudly for their favorites, making it to the national team heading to the French Capital. But the USATF decided to add to Ohanian’s excitement and celebrate his initiative with something special. Alex Ohanian let the track and field community in on it by sharing the sweet gesture on his social media.

USATF decided to up the ante and come in clutch with a souvenir for Alexis Ohanian

Over the course of 10-days, many elite athletes stepped on to the track vying to secure a spot on the Paris-bound team. As the events commenced, the USATF decided to keep the excitement going by giving Alexis Ohanian a souvenir from the trials. They honored him with a racing bib sporting his last name on it. Alexis Ohanian expressed his gratitude on X, captioning it, “Olympia was very happy to get this souvenir from #tracktown – thanks ⁦@usatf” We can almost see the little tot being over the moon about this. 

The historic tracks of Hayward Field served as the perfect backdrop for the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials last month. Throughout the action-packed event, fans couldn’t help but cheer for their favorites. Among them was Alexis Ohanian himself. The founder of Seven Seven Six made his way to Eugene, Oregon to watch the nation’s elite sprinters put their best foot forward live!

Ohanian shared a few snippets on X from his time at the stadium, like watching Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone set a world record or Nikki Hiltz setting a meet record. Ohanian also shared a sweet picture of him and Gabby Thomas. The Olympic bronze medalist successfully punched her ticket to the French capital. Ohanian captioned the celebratory picture, “Productive week, @itsgabbyt! See you in Paris.” Thomas is sporting a huge smile on her face, with a thumbs up while Ohanian enthusiastically points at her. 

The Reddit Co-founder also spent downtime “soaking up” some of the displays at the historic stadium, chalking it up it to research for the 776 initiative. Even though we are 21 days away from the Summer Games in the French capital, the next few months are going to be just as exciting for Ohanian. What does he have up his sleeve?

Mark your calendars for the 776 Invitational – the best is yet to come

Several sprinters had heavily criticized track and field events for not investing enough money in the sport. This was also visible in the lack of sponsorship for several athletes. Last month, World Athletics took the first step towards rectifying this mishap by announcing the World Athletics Ultimate Championship set to take off in 2026. The catch? Gold medalists will walk away from the event with a title and $150,000 in prize money. Alexis Ohanian celebrated this on X by stating, “👀 love this. We haven’t even had our first 776invitational.com yet” The 776 Invitational was announced, keeping this very query in mind.

What is the 776 Invitational you ask? It is a female-only track event with the largest purse ever for the fastest women in the world. This event will also challenge how current-day track events are conducted. The winner will walk away with $60,000, second place takes home $25,000 and last place gets $10,000. While this doesn’t match the prize purse WA has set, it still is miles ahead of what several other events offer. International sprint icon Gabby Thomas has also raised concerns about challenges athletes have faced in the sport.

She has partnered up with Ohanian and the 776 Foundation to shake things up. She stated, “I am excited to partner with forward-thinking organizations like 776 that share our vision for advancing women’s track.” Ohanian’s connection to sports goes beyond being married to tennis icon Serena Williams. He has also been a major advocate when it comes to women’s sports. She continued, “Through this investment, we hope to not only provide athletes with the resources and visibility they need to have enduring careers but also to inspire fans worldwide with a reinvented format to experience the best of our sport.” The event will most likely take place in September this year.

In just 21 days, Thomas and several other track and field stars will be preparing to compete for Olympic glory at the French capital. Many fans are looking to watching the best of the best locking horns on the world’s biggest stage. But Alex Ohanian is making sure the track and field community has more to look forward to. Will you be watching?