Why We Cancelled Grand Slam Track Event – Organisers
The organisers of the 2025 Los Angeles Grand Slam track event have cancelled the event, citing low turnout of fans in the first three events.
The track series attracted top athletes with super-sized prize money but saw poor attendance at its kick-off meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, and later cut its third meet in Philadelphia from three to two days.
The organisers confirmed the decision to cancel the event in a statement on Friday.
The statement read: “The decision to conclude the inaugural Grand Slam Track season is not taken lightly, but one rooted in a belief that we have successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season.
Organisers have offered full refunds to fans who had bought tickets to the June 28-29 Los Angeles meeting and Johnson said the series would return in 2026.
“Our attention is now in 2026, with our eyes set on continuing to deliver the best-in-class storytelling, content, and competition.
“We are committed to calling Los Angeles home, and look forward to hosting a Slam in LA as part of the 2026 season.”
The Grand Slam was announced ahead of the 2024 Paris Games amid mounting concerns over athlete pay, as World Athletics for the first time paid $50,000 to gold medal winners.
With a whopping $12.6 million in total prize money across what was set to be four meets, Johnson’s start-up caught the attention of track’s established stars.
The competition featured a host of well-known athletes, including British Olympic sprinters Daryll Neita and Matthew Hudson-Smith, and 1500m world champion Josh Kerr.
Male and female competitors are subdivided into six categories – each containing eight athletes – such as Short Sprints, with the eight featuring in that group competing in the 100m and 200m each weekend.
It offered significant financial incentives, with up to $100,000 (£73,600) on offer for the winners of race categories, as well as salaries for contracted athletes.
Why We Cancelled Grand Slam Track Event – Organisers is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
