The 'F1 of athletics'? Athlos announces London debut

The all-female track meet Athlos will head to London for the first time in 2026 as it expands to a two-day event - and its founder hopes the competition can become the "Formula 1 of track and field".

Created by Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder and husband of tennis' 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams, Athlos will also be held in New York for a third consecutive year.

In addition to a prize pot of $2.1m (£1.5m), athletes will be offered equity in the league - the idea being that they will be rewarded if it is successful.

American stars Sha'Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, Tara Woodhall-Davis, Masai Russell and Dominican sprinter Marileidy Paulino have so far been confirmed for the events at the StoneX Stadium in Barnet, home of rugby union side Saracens, on 18 September and the Icahn Stadium in New York two weeks later.

"I've long been very obsessed with this 'F1 for track and field' analogy. We come to expect the fastest cars in the world to tour the greatest global cities, and for people to come out and watch and celebrate this excellence," Ohanian told BBC Sport.

"I envision Athlos to be a version of that and, as we grow this league, I'd love to add more cities and make Athlos truly global.

"Whatever we do, we're going to do it with our athletes as partners - but our ambition is big. I don't see any reason why Athlos can't be a mainstay of the sporting calendar."

'We get a share in what we're helping to build'

The financial difficulties encountered by Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track in its inaugural season last year have been well-documented, but Ohanian says he is determined to close the "historic gap" which has existed between "the economics of women's track and field and the excellence of the talent".

Athlos is owned entirely by Ohanian's venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, which has assets of $900m (£670m) - but athletes will receive a stake so they may also benefit if the competition succeeds.

"The cash compensates their participation and success, and the equity recognises what we're building together. If we get this right, it should properly place these amazing athletes on the same level as they are every four years during the Olympics," said Ohanian.

"This equity is a way for us to have a real partnership. These are the athletes who are the first movers, the ones who are taking a leap and helping us get this started."

Ohanian prioritised athlete input from the outset, reaching out to individuals such as Olympic 200m champion Thomas via social media long before Athlos' inaugural season in 2024.

Against the backdrop of protest plans by the world's leading tennis players over prize money at the French Open, Thomas, a Harvard graduate with dreams of running her own hospital after her time in the sport, said Athlos was sending "a real signal".