ATHLOS Announces Major Changes, Including More Money for Faith Kipyegon, Gabby Thomas and Co

ATHLOS, the women-only track and field series backed by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, has announced a significant expansion for its 2026 season.

The venture will grow to a two-meet championship format, distributing more than $2.1 million (Ksh272 million) in prize money and introducing an equity ownership model for its athletes.

The first of the two events is scheduled to return to Icahn Stadium in New York City on Friday, October 2, 2026. While the second location has not yet been revealed, it is expected to be an international venue and will take place before the New York meet. Both events are slated to occur after the 2026 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, which conclude on September 13.

The 2026 series will feature seven events, consistent with previous years which included the 100m, 100m hurdles, 200m, 400m, 800m, mile, and long jump. Each event will host six elite athletes who will compete for points across both meets.

The athlete accumulating the most points will be crowned the ATHLOS champion, earning a $25,000 (Ksh3.2 million) bonus and a custom Tiffany & Co. crown. The scoring and prize money distribution for each meet are as follows:

1st Place: 10 points, $65,000 (Ksh8.4 million) 2nd Place: 8 points, $40,000 (Ksh5.2 million) 3rd Place: 6 points, $25,000 (Ksh3.2 million) 4th Place: 4 points, $15,000 (Ksh1.9 million) 5th Place: 2 points, $10,000 (Ksh1.3 million) 6th Place: 1 point, $5,000 (Ksh647,850).

In the event of a tie in total points, the champion will be determined by the fastest average time in running events or the longest average distance in the long jump.

In a ground-breaking move for the sport, Ohanian announced that winning athletes will also receive equity in the league. Speaking on CBS Mornings, he drew a parallel to the tech industry's startup culture.

"One thing start-ups get right is aligning incentives across the board," Ohanian stated. "We think: Why not the same for our athletes? We’re building this league with them."

This initiative aims to give athletes a direct stake in the financial success of the venture they are helping to build.

Last year, Olympic medalists Gabby Thomas, Sha’Carri Richardson, and Tara Davis-Woodhall joined ATHLOS as advisors and co-owners. Davis-Woodhall won the long jump at the 2025 meet, which featured a unique qualifying round in Times Square. Thomas competed in the inaugural 2024 event but missed the following year due to injury, while Richardson has yet to make her competitive debut in the series.

While a team-based concept was previously hinted at for 2026, it has not been included in the initial announcements for the expanded series. Further details, including the location of the second meet, are expected to be released at a later date.