Former world 200m and 400m record-holder tells BBC why his new Grand Slam Track series features runners only
Michael Johnson believes his new Grand Slam Track events in 2025 have the potential to save “track” but not “track and field”.
The first meeting takes place in Kingston, Jamaica, on April 4 next year followed by Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. But it features running events only, which has drawn criticism.
“I love this sport,” he told BBC on Wednesday (Nov 27). “But I have had time to reconcile the fact that if we continue to just do the same thing, tell people that ‘you should love this’ or ‘you should understand this’ – that doesn’t work.
“Grand Slam Track is track, that is what we’re doing. I am going to save what I think I can save; I think I can save track, I don’t think I can save track and field.
“Putting the two together works at the Olympics and World Championships, but I’m not sure it works when you’re trying to create a professional sport outside of those global competitions.”
He added: “My objective is to make the sport of track and field more popular but you have to pick your battles to do that.
“Based on today’s audience, if you were going to build a sport then you would not build ‘track and field’ because it would not work. It doesn’t work to have four or five all in one and to then call it one sport, because that’s what track and field is.
“There’s no similarity at all between pole vaulters and sprinters or shot putters and triple jumpers. As a sport it’s very difficult to change that but with us (Grand Slam Track) coming from the outside and creating something very new, we can change it.
“We needed to get around a single narrative. Only the fastest is that narrative. Whether we can ultimately create something for the field events for today’s audience is to be determined and I’d love to be able to do that, but they are very different events.”
Johnson, 57, believes field events are not television-friendly due to the length of time they take to complete.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Getty)
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Josh Kerr and Matt Hudson-Smith are among the athletes who have signed up to the series so far with more recent signings including sprinters Gabby Thomas and Daryll Neita.
However, big names like Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Femke Bol and Keely Hodgkinson have not signed. Or not yet anyway.
“My objective is to create the opportunities that athletes have always wanted and to put them on a stage that is worthy of their greatness, with races that mean something,” Johnson continued.
“To do that you have to have the best competing against each other. That is what is compelling about the biggest sports in the world. That’s what we’re creating.
“We want to create a little bit more jeopardy, higher stakes and better narrative.”
Johnson also wants to ensure competitors are rewarded financially as as well as a $12.6m prize pot, 48 contracted ‘racers’ will receive a base salary to compete at all four slams.
At each slam the racers are joined by 48 challengers in one of six groups of men and women – they are short and long sprints, short and long hurdles, and short and long distance – with each athlete running in two events.
Athletes receive points for their finishing position in both races. The combined results determine each slam’s champion – and the recipient of $100,000.
(Getty)
The series has also drawn mild criticism for being very US-centric but Johnson says this was part of his plan. Responding to recent claims by UK Athletics that the British governing body turned down the opportunity to get involved, he said: “UK Athletics didn’t decline to have a Grand Slam Track event. We engaged with 10 interested cities around the globe and we decided for year one that we wanted to focus our energy on the US.
“We will continue to engage with interested cities. As we look to expand and rotate, that [a UK event] certainly will be a possibility.”
Grand Slam Track also finds itself in competition with established events like the Diamond League circuit. World Athletics has also recently been creating new events such as its World Athletics Ultimate Championships in 2026 and there is talk of a new treadmill world championships.
“We have had numerous conversations with World Athletics and we have listened to a lot of what they have said over the years,” said Johnson.
“They want to grow the sport in the US, for athletes to be paid more, to encourage more innovation in the sport.
“When we sat down to build Grand Slam Track we listened to that – we built Grand Slam Track to do all those things.”
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