Track and field has a relatively small number of premier professional events globally, despite its reputation as a high-impact and thrilling sport. Those events include the Wanda Diamond League, the USATF Championships, the World Athletics Continental Tour, and the Olympic Games, as well as the World Athletics featuring the World Athletics Championships, World Athletics Indoor Championships, and World Athletics Relays.
The Wanda Diamond League, USATF Championships, and World Athletics Continental Tour are held annually, while the World Athletics Championship events and Olympic Games are staged every two and four years, respectively. With those seven competitions serving as the sport’s primary global showcases, there is considerable room for growth in the professional track and field calendar.
Track and field has long been one of the signature sports of the Olympic Games, routinely drawing some of the highest viewership and global attention during the Summer Games. Despite that level of engagement and the enthusiasm the sport generates on the world’s biggest stage, fans are left with relatively few opportunities to follow elite competition on a consistent basis, creating a gap between interest and availability that limits sustained growth.
According to a Statista survey, only about 14% of U.S. sports fans say they regularly follow track and field competitions, a comparatively low figure that points to a sizable untapped audience for more consistent events (Statista). At the same time, viewership data suggests strong interest when high‑profile meets are available: the inaugural all-female Athlos meet drew roughly 3 million viewers globally across four streaming platforms, while the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials averaged about 4.5 million viewers over eight days in 2024, a 41% increase from the 2021 trials (Forbes).
With an eye toward expanding the sport’s reach, Michael Johnson recently announced he will launch Grand Slam Track, a new professional track league scheduled to debut April 4, 2025. Individual competitions within the league are called Slams, giving rise to the league’s name. Grand Slam Track will host four Slams annually in key markets, including Kingston, Jamaica; Miami; Philadelphia; and Los Angeles.
The inaugural season’s Slams include:
Kingston Slam, April 4–6, 2025, at the National Stadium in Jamaica
Miami Slam, May 2–4, 2025, at the Ansin Sports Complex
Philadelphia Slam, May 31–June 1, at Franklin Field
Los Angeles Slam, June 28–29, at Drake Stadium
Competitors are placed into two categories: Racers and Challengers. Racers are defined by Grand Slam Track as elite competitors performing at the highest level during the season. Challengers are emerging athletes seeking to break through and earn a Racer designation in future seasons.
While the category labels may feel ambiguous compared to a traditional ranking system, several high‑profile athletes are slated to compete as Racers at the Kingston Slam, including Sydney McLaughlin‑Levrone, Melissa Jefferson‑Wooden, Brittany Brown, Gabby Thomas, and Masai Russell. Challengers expected to participate include Nia Ali, Dina Asher‑Smith, Tamara Clark, Talitha Diggs, and Danielle Williams.
There are six race groups, each consisting of two events. Athletes compete in both races within their group and earn points based on their finishing positions.
The race groups are:
- Women’s Long Distance (3000m, 5000m)
- Women’s Long Hurdles (400mH, 400m Flat)
- Women’s Long Sprints (200m, 400m)
- Women’s Short Distance (800m, 1500m)
- Women’s Short Hurdles (100mH, 100m Flat)
- Women’s Short Sprints (100m, 200m)
Points are awarded from first through eighth place in each race as follows:
- First place – 12 points
- Second place – 8 points
- Third place – 6 points
- Fourth place – 5 points
- Fifth place – 4 points
- Sixth place – 3 points
- Seventh place – 2 points
- Eighth place – 1 point
The athlete with the highest combined point total after both races is crowned the Slam Champion of their race group.
