The debut Grand Slam Track meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, offered glimpses of innovation and promise but struggled to attract a sizeable audience, leaving questions about its long-term potential.
With a prize pot of $12.6m (£10m) and a revolutionary format aimed at reinvigorating athletics between Olympic Games, the event had bright moments but room for growth.
Twelve athletes left the event $100,000 (£77,500) richer after competing in just two races. Among the winners were Kenny Bednarek, Gabby Thomas, and Matthew Hudson-Smith, who topped their respective categories.
Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi delivered an upset in the 1500m, defeating Olympic gold medallist Cole Hocker and world champion Josh Kerr.
However, large sections of the National Stadium were empty, leading event founder Michael Johnson to acknowledge the need to draw bigger crowds in the future. “Let’s be honest—we’d love to see more spectators here,” said Johnson.
“But the fans that were here were engaged, and that’s what really matters. We’ll work on growing this.”
The unique competition format subdivides 96 athletes into “Racers” and “Challengers,” with points awarded across categories like Short Sprints and Long Sprints. While nine of the 12 champions were “Racers,” notable upsets by “Challengers” like Danielle Williams and Ejgayehu Taye added excitement to the event.
Despite the absence of several big-name stars like Noah Lyles and Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the meet showcased high-caliber competition. Johnson admitted there were logistical issues behind the scenes but emphasized the positives, vowing to improve future events. “Right now, we’re celebrating a great event,” he added.
The series continues with the next meet in Miami from May 2-4, before heading to Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
