a day ago
Grand Slam Track postpones Los Angeles meet, looks ahead to 2026 season
Grand Slam Track has postponed its last scheduled meet of its first season in Los Angeles, moving the LA meet to its second season in 2026.
'The decision to conclude the inaugural Grand Slam Track season is not taken lightly, but one rooted in a belief that we have successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season, and the importance of looking towards 2026 and beyond,' Grand Slam Track founder and commissioner Michael Johnson said in a press release. 'We launched with a bold vision to reimagine professional track racing, and we could not be more excited about what we have accomplished so far, delivering amazing races to a rabid fan base. As we've said all along, we were going to have learnings, make adjustments and continue to improve. Sometimes we have to make moves that aren't comfortable, but what's most important is the future and sustainability of the league.
'The global economic landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year, and this business decision has been made to ensure our long-term stability as the world's premier track league. Our attention is now on 2026, with our eyes set on continuing to deliver the best-in-class storytelling, content, and competition that we have become known for in our debut year. We are in conversations with potential host cities — many of whom have already thrown their names in the hat — to build out an exciting calendar of events for our fans across the globe. We are committed to calling Los Angeles home, and look forward to hosting a Slam in LA as part of the 2026 season.'
Grand Slam Track previously held meets in Kingston, Jamaica (April 4-6), Miami (May 2-4) and Philadelphia (May 31-June 1).
For each meet, the winners of event groups combining results from two races earned $100,000, in addition to base compensation and appearance fees paid to the top athletes.
For example, two-time Olympic 200m silver medalist Kenny Bednarek won the men's short sprints group (one 100m and one 200m race) at each of the first three Slams.
Bednarek, the only athlete to win all six of their races over the first three Slams, and fellow sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the Racer of the Year titles as the most successful male and female athletes across all groups.
Olympic gold medalists including Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Masai Russell and Cole Hocker also took part in the first season.
The track and field season continues this summer with major meets including the Prefontaine Classic on July 5, the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships from July 31-Aug. 3 and the World Championships in Tokyo from Sept. 13-21, all airing on NBC Sports and Peacock.
Nick Zaccardi,
