ATHLOS NYC'S
ALL STAR
LINE UP
Text by Grace Cook
4 Minute Read
Courtesy of Athlos
ATHLOS NYC'S
ALL STAR
LINE UP
Text by Grace Cook
4 Minute Read
Courtesy of Athlos
The Super Bowl of track and field is here, promising a new era of women's sports entertainment.
Times Square will play host to its first sporting event on October 9. Stars of the American track and field roster, including Tara Davis-Woodhall, will perform a long jump right in the heart of midtown Manhattan. The jump is a prelimimary round to qualify for Athlos—the world’s first ever all-female track and field competition, taking place on October 10 at the Icahn Stadium. Tickets start from $65, but the Times Square event is free.
The event, conceived by Alexis Ohanian last year, is bringing out the glitterati. A-list athletes from across the globe are on the competition’s roster, from Olympic gold medalists such as Keely Hodgkinson (Team GB), Faith Kipyegon (Team Kenya) and Sha’Carri Richardson, the Team US sprinter who is now a household name. Meanwhile, Ciara—the American multi-hyphenate superstar with 36 million Instagram followers—is scheduled to perform. It’s set to be the most culturally relevant and entertaining night in athletics to date. "Athlos NYC represents everything I love about our sport: unity, passion, and the pursuit of greatness,” says Hodgkinson. “I can’t wait to line up alongside some of the best in the world.”
“We’re expecting even bigger numbers this year,” said Ohanian in an interview with Today. As the founder of Reddit and husband to Serena Williams, he’s not just a tech titan, but an all-round women’s ally. Ohanian sets a positive example to men everywhere, proving how to properly assist in removing women’s barriers in sport. “More than 3 million people tuned into Athlos last year, which was a proof of concept to show the demand,” he said, amid the boom in women’s sports, which is set to surge past $2 billion in global revenue this year. “Track and field is one of those sports that people are paying attention to.” The aim, he said, is to turn Athlos into “the Super Bowl of track and field”—and to turn athletics into a big-budget production via global streaming.
Winners of Athlos get a cash prize of $60,000, with second place taking $25,000 and third taking $10,000. Fourth place will earn $8,000, fifth $5,000, and sixth place will earn $2,500. Track and field athletes are currently only paid $50,000 for winning gold in the Olympics. The cash injection opportunity is significant.
“Athlos was built to celebrate the best women in track and field and give them a platform that matches their talent,” says Kayla Green, chief marketing officer at Athlos and Seven Seven Six, the venture capital firm founded by Ohanian, which is funding Athlos. “ This year’s lineup represents the momentum of the sport and the greatest talent in women’s track and field right now.”
Courtesy of Athlos
Courtesy of Nike
Athlos’ second event comes at the end of a stellar year for women's sports. In the elite circles, women-led events are rising, too. In February, Team GB Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson launched her own track and field event, titled the Keely Klassic, in Birmingham, UK. In the summer, Hodgkinson joined Faith Kipyegon in Paris for Breaking4—Kipyegon’s attempt to beat the world women’s record for running a four-minute mile. Three days of activations were held in the French capital, with fans flying in globally to watch her lap the purple track. She was paced by an army of speed support, including British duathlete Georgia Hunter Bell.
“This [event] was about inspiring the next generation,” said Kipyegon, speaking in a sunny Parisian garden the day after her attempt. She didn’t break the four-minute mile, but she did break the world record—and ran a mile faster than it takes to boil an egg. “Women can push our boundaries; we are limitless. I am proud of myself for having given myself the chance to try, and to show the world what women can do. I dared to dream.”
Women-led events are meaningful. It’s part of a bigger cultural trend toward creating safe spaces for women to compete, or show up—both in running and beyond. The After-Dark series is a 10K run currently being staged globally by Nike; it offers female runners the chance to reclaim the night. Winter running is difficult for women from a safety perspective, as the daylight hours are so few. Meanwhile, in November last year, the first women’s-only marathon, hosted by Milk, was staged in Savannah, Georgia. Some 42 percent of participants last year were first-time marathoners—it proves that there’s comfort in the solidarity and support of sisterhood. In gyms, there’s been a shift toward women-only weightlifting groups, too; in some cities, there are even women-only gyms.
“More than 3 million people tuned in from Athlos last year, which shows the demand.”
Events like Athlos are also seeking to challenge the status quo. It’s amplifying women’s sports—in particular athletics—on the world stage like never before. The stars of athletics get plenty of media attention whenever the Olympics roll around, but that’s only every four years. It’s harder for athletes to stay in the cultural consciousness, to make money and win lucrative advertising contracts from brands during the between-years. Their window for global exposure is infrequent.
Hodgkinson, the Team GB reigning 800m Olympic champion, is among the fastest and most famous British track athletes, with over 500,000 Instagram followers. By creating her own event, Hodgkinson was able to monetize her own brand and influence in a way that wasn’t dictated by third-party contracts. From a business and a sporting perspective, she is inspiring to young women everywhere. No doubt many of those in the crowd will have left feeling motivated to lace-up their running shoes too, and head down to the athletics track.
Women can’t be what they can’t see. That’s why events like Athlos matter. The fact that the prize is not a medal, but a Tiffany & Co. crown, is a thoughtful touch. It proves that women don’t just deserve equal pay. They deserve to be celebrated in their own unique way.
Athlos is streaming online on October 10, starting at 5pm ET. For tickets, visit athlos.com.
