Michael Johnson Grand Slam Track: All about legendary athlete’s newly launched track league with $12.6 million prize pool

Track and field veteran Michael Johnson is all set to launch his track tournament, which is aiming to reshape the entire track circuit. The tournament, named 'Grand Slam Track', will take center stage in 2025 and will comprise five events throughout the season.

The major aim of the tournament is to provide an economic boost to the track athletes, as the current structure of the discipline offers a very marginal salary. The prize pool for each of the events in the league is huge, with the winner of an event taking home around $100,000, while the second and third-placed contestants from an event will bag around $50,000 and $30,000, respectively.

The schedule and planning of the tournament have been reportedly done in such a manner that it doesn't clash with the World Athletics-sanctioned Ultimate Championships that is set to start in 2026.

Recently, in a Press release, the man himself, Michael Johnson elaborated about his new track tournament. He stated:

"I am delighted to finally unveil Grand Slam Track to the millions of track fans around the world."

He further added:

"We are excited to launch this new platform for the planet’s greatest racers in this sport we all love. Our team has worked tirelessly to design and build a product that will be loved by fans and provide opportunities for our racers that they truly deserve. We’re revolutionizing the track landscape, allowing our sport to remain at the forefront of the sporting world year-round."

However, one of the major features of Michael Johnson's new tournament is that there are no field events on its roster. This is solely to put more attention and focus on the track athletes.

---

More you need to know about Michael Johnson's new track league

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone becomes the first athlete to sign for Johnson's new league

Johnson's new tournament will feature 96 athletes in all. The league will provide contracts to 48 athletes (Core GST Racers), and they will take part in each of the four events of the league. The other 48 athletes (GST Challengers) may vary from event to event. The league's organizing committee will choose them based on their recent results. Matchups will also be considered.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist, Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone, recently became the first athlete to sign a contract with Michael Johnson's league, owing to which she will participate in each of the four events of the league in the 2025 season.

The organizing committee has not yet determined the venues for the events, nor has it decided which streaming providers will air the competition.