A crowd gathered around the track at New York City’s Icahn Stadium just after 10 p.m. Thursday night. As the lights started flashing on a stage set up in the infield, three teenage girls behind me ran screaming toward the stage just as Megan Thee Stallion appeared. Her set closed out Aros New York City, a women-only track and field competition with the highest prize money in the sport.
Most track meets don’t end with a performance from a Grammy Award-winning artist. But Athlos is not your typical track and field meet. From the fireworks during the athletes’ exit, to the light-up bracelets that flashed in time to DJ D-Nice’s set, to the awarding of Tiffany’s crowns to the winning runners, it felt like a highly produced show. Pink and magenta lights flashed around the truck. In front of the grandstand was a VIP section lined with black sofas and high-top tables where celebrities and track and field luminaries mingled.
That was the point. “Track meets are usually all about the track. It’s all about sitting in your seat and watching the race. It’s a celebration of the track, a celebration of the runners,” said Gabby Thomas, three-time Olympic gold medalist. He spoke during a gathering with reporters the day before the race.
The concept is simple: to showcase female athletes. 36 of the fastest female athletes (including 30 Olympic medals). A custom mini bib that fits a woman’s torso rather than a typical oversized bib. 6 races (100m to 1500m). Large prizes and revenue sharing opportunities. (The winner of each race earned $60,000, twice the amount paid to the winner of the Diamond League Finals. Second place received $25,000, third place received $10,000, fourth place received $8,000, and fifth place received $60,000. ($5,000, 6th place was $2,500!)
The competition is the brainchild of Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian (Serena Williams’ husband). After talking with many runners, including Thomas, he realized untapped potential and an underrated athlete. “People have been making decisions based on traditional media contracts and what people want,” Ohanian told SELF ahead of the event. “But you miss out on a lot of other storytelling because you don’t understand why. You can’t go any deeper into the athletes and the people themselves.”