“The North Star, for everything we do, always has to tell the stories of our athletes; every minute, they’re not on the track. That’s why people will care,” emphasized Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder and tech mogul. Ohanian’s recent pledge of $500,000 to Athlos, a burgeoning sports platform, follows his impassioned belief in amplifying athletes’ voices. Inspired by a viral track and field feed featuring Olympian Gabby Thomas, Ohanian’s investment highlights his commitment to leveraging digital platforms for meaningful change.

In addition to his renowned investment portfolio, Ohanian is venturing into women’s sports with Athlos NYC, a female-only track and field league. This move aligns with the unprecedented growth in women’s sports, projected to generate $1 billion from fan, broadcast, and commercial interest. Beyond business, Ohanian’s motivation stems from personal connection, evident in his discussion about Athlos NYC with 2021 bronze medalist Gabby Thomas. This initiative reflects Ohanian’s strategic vision and genuine advocacy for empowering female athletes.

Alexis Ohanian talks about his inspiration behind Athlos NYC 

After a recent interview with Robin Arzón on Good Morning America,  Alexis Ohanian, tweeted a clip from it, highlighting why he began envisioning Athlos NYC. He said, “Last year I was starting to get a little excited for the Olympics and I started noticing more and more track photos, videos, stories, going viral on social media because it is a reflection of zeitgeist and so this led me to what we are calling Athlos.” Athlos NYC, named after the Greek word for ‘athlete’ was previously known as the 776 Invitational, is set to be a groundbreaking track event, which will bring together the fastest women in the world. His brainchild aims to give more impetus to female stars, thus breaking free from the norm and giving the fastest women the world over a sliver of life opportunity. That is exactly what it takes to –“achieve everyday greatness”– bemoans the host.

Scheduled to debut on 26th September, Ohanian said, “you are going to experience the sport in a way it should be, not just during the Olympics, to create more access for fans to be able to not just see these women when they are on track, but also really get to know them as individuals.” Alexis Ohanian had previously invested in Angel City FC and has some knowledge on how to go about handling a sports event. The event will feature women racing at the Icahn Stadium primarily in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 100mH, 800m and 1500m. It will also feature DJs and individual entrance music for the athletes. It will offer almost a concert-like feel for the fans, with the main draw for the athletes being the $60,000 prize pot for each event winner. This is a marked increase from the $30,000 top prize in the Diamond Leagues. 

He has already signed on Gabby Thomas as his lucky charm and business partner as well. She is going to participate in the 200m event. The official Instagram page of the meet released a video of Thomas in action, captioned, “It’s official, the 776 Invitational has officially been revealed as Athlos NYC and I’m thrilled to announce I’ll be running in September at Icahn Stadium in New York!!! I’m honored to be a part of something that revolutionizes the sport for future generations all while competing alongside the women who inspire me everyday 🤎’ – @gabbythomas”. To this, Thomas replied, “This is sick.” Thomas is one of the best female sprinters out there and it would be a treat for her to grace the stomping grounds and show us how it’s done. 

In 2021, at the Tokyo Olympics, she earned the bronze medal for the 200m dash and was part of the 400m relay event where the USA won silver. She has also won 22 conference titles during her time at Harvard and became the first Ivy league athlete to win an NCAA indoor title. Additionally, Faith Kipyegon and Alexis Holmes have also been signed on. With this meet, Ohanian is aiming to put track and field into the forefront of the public’s mind. 

Other track and field veterans are also taking an interest in new leagues

The Track and field community is facing a huge change right now. From Netflix’s SPRINT series trying to recreate the magic that Drive To Survive and Box to Box Films did to revive the fanbase of Formula One racing to the new leagues. This is mainly because track and field at one time was being considered a dead sport, with viewers being mainly traditionalists. So veteran Michael Johnson has also introduced Grand Slam Track, which will debut in April 2025.

The league is set to host 4 annual events in different cities during the Spring and summer season. The athletes will participate in long sprints, long and short sprints, hurdles, long hurdles and will be divided into two groups. The first group will consist of athletes who are signed onto the Slam, and the second will be “challengers” invited specifically to race at different events. It will fulfill the criticism that audiences have long had of track and field lacking in marquee head-to-head matches. Johnson said, “It’s providing the fans and the athletes what they’ve been asking for. I think there’s a real opportunity here. They’re frustrated at an all-time level with the sport, at the elite level, the way it’s been over the last couple of years where they’re not compensated and recognized for their tremendous talent.”

The prize money is an astounding $12.6 million. The winner will receive a payout of $100,000 and the prizes will go down to the 8th position who is entitled to $10,000. Sydney McLaughlin Levrone has already been signed on. The two time Olympic gold medalist and the current world record holder in the 400mH is ready to grace the screens.