Penn will host a Grand Slam track and field meet in May 2025.
Credit: Anastasia RussellOn Nov. 14 Grand Slam Track announced that it will be holding its third meet of the 2025 season at Penn's Franklin Field, the home of the Penn Relays. Philadelphia joins Kingston, Jamaica and Miami as the third stop on Grand Slam Track’s tour. The season will end with a fourth and final competition at Drake Stadium of UCLA.
Grand Slam Track, whose home base is in Los Angeles, is a new track and field league founded by track and field Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson. Officially announced in June 2024, the elite global league aims to attract only the most talented runners and instill competition between the fastest men and women in the world.
“We are revolutionizing the track landscape,” Johnson confidently told BBC.
During his career, Johnson was widely regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time. He held world and Olympic records in both the 200-meters and 400m and by the end of his career had won four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships. He remains the only male athlete to win a gold medal in the 200m and 400m at the same Olympics, the 1996 Atlanta games. As evidenced by Grand Slam Track, in retirement he turned to entrepreneurship and investing. He is also a regular sports commentator for the BBC, having contributed to Olympic coverage since the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Franklin Field is the largest of Grand Slam Track’s four competition locations, capable of welcoming an audience of over 50,000 people. The National Stadium in Kingston seats roughly 28,000, while Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Fla. can host 5,000. When asked about his choice to compete in Philadelphia, Johnson highlighted the city’s impassioned sports culture as an aspect that will intensify the competition.
The Ott Center, Penn’s brand new indoor track and field facility, recently opened its doors for the first time on Nov. 16. Steve Dolan, the director of Penn’s track and field program and the Penn Relays spoke at the grand opening, specifically about his long-term goals of elevating Penn to become a beacon for track and field.
“[The vision] was to build off of the success of the Penn Relays and the history of track and field to establish Penn and the city of Philadelphia as a major hub for track and field on the East Coast, the United States, and the world,” he said. “That was our mission. And I stand here today to tell you that this facility, among other things that have been happening, are starting to really make that dream a reality.”
Grand Slam Track boasts the largest racing purse in history over the course of a season: $12.6 million. With four competitions per season, the league aims to offer professional runners the opportunity to consistently compete in expansive competitions on the same scale as the Olympics, which only happen every four years. The league’s website refers to itself as “the pinnacle of international racing”.
The GST competitions are made up of 96 competing athletes: 48 “Racers” and 48 “Challengers." GST has already announced its lineup of 48 “Racers”, who are contractually signed with the league each season. Selected by the Grand Slam Track Racing Committee, the GST roster is made up of the best runners in the world to foster fierce season-long rivalries. Each athlete on the roster will compete in all four competitions, which are referred to as "Slams." They will compete against 48 single-meet “Challengers”.
The “Racers," who include Olympic and World Champions, receive annual compensation for competing in each Slam and are eligible for full prize money, while the “Challengers” are paid a set appearance fee per Slam. The prize money ranges from $100,000 to $10,000 from first to eighth place.
Each Slam is composed of 13 events in six categories excluding field events: short sprints, short hurdles, long sprints, long hurdles, short distance, and long distance, and each athlete is required to compete in two events. With over $30 million in funding and counting, Grand Slam Track is hoping to become the premier league for Track and Field in the world.
GST released the competition dates alongside their locations. The inaugural competition will be held in Kingston from April 4-6, 2025; GST will then travel to Miami and compete from May 2-4, 2025; The Franklin Field Slam will be held from May 30 to June 1, 2025; Finally, Grand Slam Track will finish its season in Los Angeles, CA from June 27-29, 2025. Tickets for each event go on sale on Dec. 6, 2024.
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