It was not so long ago that Alexis Ohanian announced Athlos alongside track and field’s favorite Gabby Thomas. The two seemed like the perfect duo to launch Ohanian’s groundbreaking event. Thomas promoted, organized, and put the event on everyone’s radar. While Thomas played a crucial role in making this far-off-track dream a reality, it turns out she wasn’t the one behind Ohanian’s vision!

The honor of inspiration goes to another young woman. A track star that most of the world hasn’t heard of, at least not yet. Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, is no stranger to viral moments. It is one such moment that caught his attention. In his words, “It all started with a video. I noticed first on social media these clips going viral a few years ago.” But it wasn’t Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, or any other elite track star!

Instead, it showed a young sprinter named Ziyah Holman, who at that time was not a well-known name. “There was a young woman, Ziyah Holman, who was running a relay at the University of Michigan… And she was running the anchor, the last leg of the relay.” Holman was up against the odds, and the race seemed like it was going to be a loss for Michigan. But then she did the impossible: “She comes back, and she wins.” Being a total outsider to track and field, the moment somehow managed to still stick with Ohanian.

“45 seconds of pure enjoyment. Like, I felt kind of fired up by it, like this is a cool sport,” he added. And that’s when the wheels of Athlos made their first turn! However, it was not just Holman who caught Ohanian’s eye. Enter Sha’Carri Richardson and her ever-so-viral clips. “And then I see some Sha’Carri clips, and I’m like, wow, okay, like I can’t not pay attention to her. Like, she’s got this amazing energy, she’s great on the track, and she has this big personality. And I’m like, ‘Oh, I think I like what she’s about,’” he said, recalling. That energy fuelled Alexis Ohanian. Thomas, however, wasn’t sidelined.

Thomas ran at Athlos and proudly said, “It shows what we can do, shows how fun it can be to support track meets.” And fun it was. The first-ever Athlos event wasn’t just a track meet. The event cooked up an entourage of ‘wow’ moments served on a platter! The world saw athletes, including Faith Kipyegon, Marileidy Paulino, and Brittany Brown, amongst others, create history. These races, however, weren’t just performances. They were moments that deserved more than just a passing glance on social media.

To craft the perfect culmination, Megan Thee Stallion performed at the closing ceremony. This was, of course, a great end or a great initiative. But it was also a loud and clear statement that Athlos will not fade into oblivion any time soon. Athlos was here to stay. Since the stay is definite, what’s next?

Alexis Ohanian is all about “More Pathways” for track!

The debut of Athlos may have wrapped up in New York, but the idea behind it lives on. Alexis Ohanian has big plans for the future. He’s setting goals not just for 2025 but for far beyond! “If we do this right, we can do something that not just solves it at the highest ranks but actually starts to trickle down to so many other levels of the sport,” Ohanian said. It couldn’t come at a better time, either.

With the colleges in America cutting down the funding for track and field programs, it leaves track and field athletes with very few opportunities to sprint for. Like a true businessman and tech mogul, Ohanian is, instead of seeing this as a catch-22. He saw a gap that he had the chance to step in and fill. “This is the exact time to make this investment and create something that looks and feels as premium and elite as possible because that’s going to hopefully keep more attention up here,” added Ohanian. But the real magic of Athlos is not just in the performances or feel.

It is in the potential. Alexis Ohanian is thinking long-term. He is not interested in one-off events. He is instead building the foundation to elevate track and field. “Athlos New York is just the start,” he said, looking ahead. His goal? “We can build something that’s much deeper than that.” A decision that, eventually, Ohanian hopes to inspire the next generation of runners.

And if Athlos continues, we just might be witnessing the creation of a new era in track and field. Alexis Ohanian’s love for the sport is turning into a wave that is only getting bigger!