The pressure of competing in an event that demands peak performance without a good relaxation break. Must be tiring, right? The same challenge will be faced by athletes participating in the Grand Slam Track event. The event is the brainchild of Michael Johnson. While the competition promises the participation of top athletes, the reality of an intense schedule raises questions. As American track and field athlete Justin Gatlin says, athletes might feel that their hamstrings aren’t feeling too good. Yet, despite the physical demands, the lure of a $100,000 prize is a huge motivator.

But with the financial challenges, questions arise if the GST event will be able to live up to the expectations. As top athletes like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone are set to appear in the event, it’s clear that despite high stakes, uncertainties also surround the event’s future. Will the Grand Slam deliver on its promise, or will its financial struggles hinder its debut?

Justin Gatlin’s point of view on the intricacies of GST

The debut of Michael Johnson’s brainchild, Grand Slam Track, is happening next year in April. Though Johnson is confident about the success of the event, the truth is that he is facing many challenges. One of them is the tough and hectic schedule of the GST event. An American track and field athlete is seen in a conversation with Bahamas sprinter Rodney Green. Where can you also watch the same?

They both shared a conversation about GST intricacies and much more on the Ready Set Gos YouTube channel. While discussing the same, Gatlin said about the hectic schedule, “An athlete can say, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna do the hurdles the first day, and then the next day I’m like, I don’t know, my hamstrings aren’t feeling too good to go out and run an all-out sprint in the 200m.’” There will be six event categories, including short and long sprints, short and long hurdles, and short and long distances—two events each.

Further talking about the schedule and the rest day, Gatlin continues, “So on the off day is there something they have to do, or are they just kind of free to do whatever they need to do to rest themselves up, or we don’t know yet?” The detailed schedule of events is not yet announced, though the GST event will be held in four different cities and countries—the first one in Jamaica and the rest in the USA. Though there’s a clash over the timeline because the New York City Grand Prix is scheduled on June 29—the same day Slam 4 is scheduled in Los Angeles, USA—another intricacy.

Rodney Green and Justin Gatlin also talked about how money can be an interesting part of the event, as prize money is $100k. Ending up the topic, Justin further said, “We are going to see how it pops off, man. Some of your favorite athletes, high-profile athletes, and challengers will be competing over a three-day period because they have a rest day in between, so it’s going to be like a mini championship. That’s what you’re going to see.” It is to be seen how things will turn out for the GST and the athletes related to the event. Having said that, is everything going fine with respect to the finances of Grand Slam Track?

Is the Grand Slam Track event facing financial trouble?

Track and field fans are in for a thrilling spectacle in 2025 as the much-anticipated Grand Slam Track Event is set to debut. The prize money promised is $100,000 (£78,683) top prize per event, and Johnson said, “They deserve to be compensated.” Despite the initial funding of $30 million, GST seems to be in trouble. Why? Now Johnson’s words have changed to: “I don’t think I can save track.” Are financial struggle rumors for real?

As per the estimate, the estimated annual expense went up to $15.2 million (£11.9 million)—including expenses for 48 athletes, prize money, travel expenses, venue costs, and others. That, however, is around 50% of the GST budget, and that’s why Johnson is so tense now because it’s not an easy road to pass.

Financial struggles became strong when UK Athletics (one of the hosts) announced that they were not going to be a part of GST anymore due to financial risk. The chief executive of UKA, Jack Buckner, said, “We’re positive about Michael Johnson’s format. But three days of just track athletics is a lot of tickets to sell in the London Stadium, and the cost base comes pretty high there. They did approach us, and we had a really good discussion with them. We would like to have a bigger, more comprehensive events portfolio, but we want that built on strong, sustainable foundations.” While athletes are eager to compete, the question remains: can the Grand Slam sustain the momentum it promises?