Just over a year after Olympic legend Michael Johnson announced he was backing a new track track league, Grand Slam Track is ready for its inaugural meet this weekend in Kingston, Jamaica.
The action kicks off on April 4 at National Stadium at Independence Park, with a host of the biggest names in the sport set to compete in a venture that has built anticipation on whether this latest attraction can push the sport forward.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse, Josh Kerr, Masai Russell, Alexis Holmes and Marileidy Paulino are among the star power athletes who will compete in the first “Slam” that promises engaging matchups and significantly high cash prizes than any other track entity.
The league’s debut comes in the wake of a dominant Olympic cycle in Paris in 2024 and Johnson caused shockwaves in the sport when he announced McLaughlin-Levrone as the first Grand Slam Track signing. Johnson was clear about the league just focusing only on track — no field events — and other high profile names like Kerr and Thomas joined in the weeks after the Paris Games.
At the first meet this weekend in Kingston, viewers will get a glimpse of the event format as all athletes compete twice in a particular discipline and the roster is 96 athlete divided equally among Racers and Challengers. Racers have agreed to appear at all four Grand Slam Track meets with Miami (May 2-4), Philadelphia (May 30-June 1) and Los Angeles (June 27-29) to follow the Kingston event. The 48 Challengers are a mix of competitors who can run in as little as one meet, are not under contract like Racers but still eligible for cash prizes that top $100,000 for event winners, with eighth place finishers taking home $10,000.
The prizes are a major increase from Diamond League payouts, which award event winners $10,000 and up to $30,000 at the season final, while under the new Diamond+ events those payouts rise to $20,000 and $50,000 in the final meet.
Meanwhile, Grand Slam Track’s debut will give fans a first look at McLaughlin-Levrone, who did not compete in any indoor meets this season. She is arguably the venture’s biggest draw and looks to return to top form after a stellar Olympic campaign in Paris where she broke her own world record in the 400m hurdles en route to gold and won again as part of Team USA’s women’s 4x400m relay squad.
The entire men’s 1,500m podium from Paris will be in Kingston with Hocker leading the way alongside Kerr and Yared Nuguse as the trio will appear in all four meets, guaranteeing some of the best matchups of the circuit.
How Does The Grand Slam Track Format Work?
All competitors are placed into six event groups: short sprints (100m and 200m), short hurdles (100m hurdles and 100m or 110m hurdles and 100m), long sprints (200m and 400m), long hurdles (400m hurdles and 400m), short distance (800m and 1500m) and long distance (3,000m and 5,000m).
After each event, athletes are awarded points based on results which decide the winner of each group.
At the conclusion of the season in Los Angeles, an overall men’s and women’s champion will be chosen.
Kingston Groups and Entry Lists
Men’s Short Sprints: Kenny Bednarek, Fred Kerley, Ackeem Blake, Terrence Jones, Oblique Seville, Zharnel Hughes, Courtney Lindsey, Joseph Fahnbulleh.
Women’s Short Sprints: Brittany Brown, Tamara Clark, Daryll Neita, Alana Reid, Jacious Sears, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Jodean Williams, Kemba Nelson.
Men’s Long Sprints: Muzala Samukonga, Jereem Richards, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Vernon Norwood, Chris Bailey, Deandre Watkin, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, Zandrion Barnes.
Women’s Long Sprints: Gabby Thomas, Talitha Diggs, Alexis Holmes, Nickisha Pryce, Marileidy Paulino, Salwa Eid Naser, Stacey Ann Williams, Dina Asher-Smith.
Men’s Short Hurdles: Freddie Crittenden, Cordell Tinch, Sasha Zhoya, Daniel Roberts, Eric Edwards Jr., Orlando Bennett, Omar McLeod, Dylan Beard.
Women’s Short Hurdles: Ackera Nugent, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Nia Ali, Masai Russell, Cyréna Samba-Mayela, Danielle Williams, Denisha Cartwright, Amber Hughes.
Men’s Long Hurdles: Clément Ducos, Alison dos Santos, Caleb Dean, Assinie Wilson, Roshawn Clarke, Chris Robinson, Malik James-King, CJ Allen.
Women’s Long Hurdles: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Rushell Clayton, Dalilah Muhammad, Cassandra Tate, Jasmine Jones, Shiann Salmon, Cathelijn Peeters, Andrenette Knight.
Men’s Short Distance: Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr, Yared Nuguse, Bryce Hoppel, Marco Arop, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Mohamed Attaoui, Neil Gourley.
Women’s Short Distance: Nikki Hiltz, Jessica Hull, Diribe Welteji, Mary Moraa, Natoya Goule-Toppin, Sage Hurta-Klecker, Heather MacLean, Susan Ejore.
Men’s Long Distance: Grant Fisher, Cooper Teare, Telahun Haile Bekele, Ronald Kwemoi, Hagos Gebrhiwet, Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, Dylan Jacobs.
Women’s Long Distance: Whittni Morgan, Nozomi Tanaka, Tsige Gebreselama, Ejgayehu Taye, Agnes Ngetich, Hellen Ekalale, Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Elise Cranny.
Grand Slam Track Kingston schedule of events
All times are Local Jamaica Time (EST / GMT -5:00).
Day 1 – FRIDAY, APRIL 4
5:42 p.m. – Women’s 200m
5:54 p.m. – Men’s 400m
6:04 p.m. – Women’s 3,000m
6:21 p.m. – Women’s 800m
6:34 p.m. – Men’s 400m hurdles
6:46 p.m. – Women’s 400m hurdles
6:56 p.m. – Men’s 5,000m
7:21 p.m. – Men’s 100m
Day 2 – SATURDAY, APRIL 5
5:42 p.m – Men’s 110m hurdles
5:56 p.m. – Men’s 200m
6:08 p.m. – Women’s 1,500m
6:25 p.m. – Women’s 100m hurdles
6:38 p.m. – Women’s 100m
6:50 p.m. – Men’s 1,500m
7:07 p.m. – Men’s 200m
7:21 p.m. – Women’s 400m
Day 3 – SUNDAY, APRIL 6
2:42 p.m – Women’s 100m hurdles
2:54 p.m. – Men’s 400m hurdles
3:04 p.m. – Women’s 5,000m
3:29 p.m. – Men’s 100m hurdles
3:39 p.m. – Men’s 800m
3:49 p.m. – Men’s 3,000m
4:08 p.m. – Women’s 200m
4:21 p.m. – Women’s 400m long hurdles
Where to watch
Grand Slam Track will be broadcast to 189 countries and territories.
TVJ in Jamaica will be the domestic broadcast partner in Jamaica, while Peacock will air the competition in the United States all three days with The CW showing linear coverage of the action on Saturday and Sunday. In Europe and Asia, Eurosport has broadcast rights and TNT Sports will show each Slam in the UK and Ireland.
