Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian launches women's track event with record prize money

US – Icahn Stadium in New York has hosted the debut of Athlos, a women-only track and field meet backed by Reddit co-founder turned venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian. Unlike traditional competitions, this one-night event featured just six races – the 100m hurdles and five sprints ranging from 100m to 1,500m – with six athletes competing in each. 

The standout feature of the event was the unprecedented prize money, with £82,496 ($110,500, €98,828) up for grabs in each race. The first-place winner took home £44,794 ($60,000, €53,659), while the second-place finisher received £18,665 ($25,000, €22,358). No other track and field competition has offered prize money of this magnitude. By comparison, the prestigious Diamond League, widely regarded as the most elite of track-and-field events, awarded only £22,406 ($30,000, €26,839) to its 2023 first-place winners. 

The event was further enhanced by an entertaining atmosphere, featuring a live performance from rap artist Megan Thee Stallion, while DJ D-Nice, famed for creating Club Quarantine, curated walk-out songs for the athletes. The production received high praise from the competitors, with Olympian Anavia Battle tweeting, ‘Major props to everyone who helped bring Athlos to life; we’ve felt nothing short of queens since arriving in NYC.’ 

Athlos capitalises on the growing financial potential of women’s sports, a trend highlighted in our Game-Changers: The Future of Sports Fandom macrotrend report.