The inaugural Athlos NYC, set to kick off on Thursday, will feature many of the world’s top female track athletes competing for unprecedented prize money.
Notable participants include American Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas and Kenyan 1,500m world record holder Faith Kipyegon.
The event, launched by Alexis Ohanian, husband of 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion Serena Williams, boasts a record prize pool of $500,000 (£374,000), a first for a women’s track meet.
Each winner across six events will earn $60,000 (£44,900), significantly higher than the Diamond League’s $15,000 (£11,200) for its top prize, which increases to $30,000 (£22,400) for the final.
Ohanian emphasized the disparity, stating he wanted to double the typical end-of-season prize for these athletes. British competitors Daryll Neita (100m) and Katie Snowden (1500m) will also be in the lineup.
This initiative reflects a broader investment in women’s athletics, with World Athletics recently committing to pay Olympic champions for the first time at the upcoming Paris Games.
