The first-ever Grand Slam Track meet gets underway this week, with dozens of world and Olympic medallists descending on Kingston, Jamaica for the start of a new track and field league - and a shot at $100,000.
That’s the prize money on offer for the winners of each Category, with a total fund of $12.6m earmarked to those competing in each of the four Slams and as additional winnings based on how each athlete performs.
A starry field is lined up, including American hurdler and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Lavrone, 2024 Olympic gold medallists Cole Hocker, and Gabby Thomas, as well as Olympic silver medallists Kenny Bednarek and Daryll Neita, former 100m world champion Fred Kerley, and Paris 200m bronze medallist Brittany Brown. Another champion in Paris, Quincy Hall, was among a number of late withdrawals, along with exciting Nigerian sprint talent Favour Ofili.
There’s plenty of British interest too. As well as Neita, Dina Asher-Smith - the fastest British woman on record - and four-time European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith, Olympic bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes, former 1,500m world champion Josh Kerr and newly-crowned indoor silver medallist over the same distance, Neil Gourley, will all take to the start line.
When is Grand Slam Track?
The first meet will be held in Kingston, Jamaica, from Friday 4 April to Sunday 6 April.
What is Grand Slam Track?
The brainchild of four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson, Grand Slam Track is a new track league designed to promote the sport more heavily and boost the reach of athletics outside of Olympic years, as well as providing athletes with more regular opportunities to race.
There are four track meets - four Slams - planned for 2025. Racers who have been signed to the league, and who will appear at every race, compete against Challengers - emerging athletes competing for Racer spots for 2026 - in different event categories.
Each category consisting of two disciplines, with the athletes going head-to-head across both. Points are distributed for every result and the athlete with the best combined placing of the two events per category will become the Slam champion.
The event categories include ‘Short Sprints’, where athletes will contest the 100m and 200m and accrue points in both, and ‘Long Distance’, the 3,000m and 5,000m, as well as categories for longer sprints, short and long hurdles, and short-distance running.
A total of 96 athletes, 48 Racers and 48 Challengers, compete in each Grand Slam, with further meets in Miami (2-4 May), Philadelphia (30 May - 1 June), and Los Angeles (27-29 June).
How can I watch Grand Slam Track?
Viewers in the UK can stream the action live on TNT Sports. You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.
Categories
- Short Sprints (100m and 200m)
- Long Sprints (200m and 400m)
- Short Hurdles (Men: 110m H and 100m flat / Women: 100m H and 100m flat)
- Long Hurdles (400m H and 400m flat)
- Short Distance (800m and 1,500m)
- Long Distance (3,000m and 5,000m)
Schedule
All times BST
Friday, 4 April
- 23:42 - Women’s 200m (Long Sprints)
- 23:54 - Men’s 400m (Long Sprints)
- 00:04 - Women’s 3000m (Long Distance)
- 00:22 - Women’s 800m (Short Distance)
- 00:34 - Men’s 400m Hurdles (Long Hurdles)
- 00:46 - Women’s 400m Hurdles (Long Hurdles)
- 00:56 - Men’s 5000m (Long Distance)
- 01:21 - Men’s 100m (Short Sprints)
Saturday 5 April
- 23:42 - Men’s 110m Hurdles (Short Hurdles)
- 23:56 - Men’s 200m (Long Sprints)
- 00:10 - Women’s 1500m (Short Distance)
- 00:25 - Women’s 100m Hurdles (Short Hurdles)
- 00:38 - Women’s 100m (Short Sprints)
- 00:52 - Men’s 1500m (Short Distance)
- 01:07 - Men’s 200m (Short Sprints)
- 01:21 - Women’s 400m (Long Sprints)
Sunday 6 April
- 20:42 - Women’s 100m Hurdles (Short Hurdles)
- 20:54 - Men’s 400m (Long Hurdles)
- 21:04 - Women’s 5000m (Long Distance)
- 21:29 - Men’s 100m (Short Hurdles)
- 21:39 - Men’s 800m (Short Distance)
- 21:49 - Men’s 3000m (Long Distance)
- 22:08 - Women’s 200m (Short Sprints)
- 22:21 - Women’s 400m Hurdles (Long Hurdles)
Start lists
- Men’s Short Sprints: Kenny Bednarek, Fred Kerley, Oblique Seville, Zharnel Hughes, Courtney Lindsey, Ackeem Blake, Terrence Jones, Joseph Fahnbulleh.
- Women’s Short Sprints: Brittany Brown, Daryll Neita, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Alana Reid, Jacious Sears, Tamara Clark, Jodean Williams, Kemba Nelson.
- Men’s Long Sprints: Muzala Samukonga, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Jereem Richards, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, Vernon Norwood, Chris Bailey, Deandre Watkin, Zandrion Barnes.
- Women’s Long Sprints: Gabby Thomas, Nickisha Pryce, Alexis Holmes, Marileidy Paulino, Salwa Eid Naser, Dina Asher-Smith, Talitha Diggs, Stacey Ann Williams.
- Men’s Short Hurdles: Freddie Crittenden, Sasha Zhoya, Daniel Roberts, Orlando Bennett, Omar McLeod, Cordell Tinch, Eric Edwards Jr., Dylan Beard.
- Women’s Short Hurdles: Ackera Nugent, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Masai Russell, Cyréna Samba-Mayela, Danielle Williams, Amber Hughes, Denisha Cartwright, Nia Ali.
- Men’s Long Hurdles: Clément Ducos, Alison Dos Santos, Caleb Dean, Roshawn Clarke, Malik James-King, CJ Allen, Chris Robinson, Assinie Wilson.
- Women’s Long Hurdles: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Rushell Clayton, Jasmine Jones, Shiann Salmon, Cathelijn Peeters, Andrenette Knight, Dalilah Muhammad, Cassandra Tate.
- Men’s Short Distance: Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr, Yared Nuguse, Marco Arop, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Bryce Hoppel, Neil Gourley, Mohamed Attaoui.
- Women’s Short Distance: Jess Hull, Nikki Hiltz, Diribe Welteji, Mary Moraa, Sage Hurta-Klecker, Heather MacLean, Natoya Goule-Toppin, Susan Ejore.
- Men’s Long Distance: Grant Fisher, Ronald Kwemoi, Hagos Gebrhiwet, Cooper Teare, Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, Dylan Jacobs, Telahun Haile Bekele.
- Women’s Long Distance: Nozomi Tanaka, Tsige Gebreselama, Agnes Ngetich, Elise Cranny, Hellen Ekalale, Whittni Morgan, Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Ejgayehu Taye.
