ATHLOS, founded by Alexis Ohanian, had positioned itself as a major new platform for female athletes, with plans to expand to two meets in 2026. But the expanded schedule also raised a problem, as the New York meet was set for the end of an already long season. So, there was a growing concern about whether it’s possible for athletes to peak again this late in the year. But now Ohanian’s changed its tune on those plans.
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On August 28, ATHLOS founder Alexis Ohanian shared an update on Instagram, confirming that the planned New York meet will not take place this year.
“I want to make sure you heard this directly from me and not from some random tweet,” Ohanian said before announcing the decision. “But we are not doing ATHLOS New York this year. We are all in on London, redoubling our efforts to make London an amazing, amazing event.”
The decision means ATHLOS will now focus entirely on its London meet, which is scheduled for September 18 at StoneX Stadium. The New York event had originally been scheduled for October 2 at Icahn Stadium. Ohanian said the decision was ultimately his, explaining that ATHLOS was originally designed to give athletes another opportunity to perform at their best after a full season.
However, feedback from athletes changed his view of the schedule, as he admitted that asking athletes to compete again in New York so late in the season was too much.
“Based on feedback from y’all, we now understand it’s the hardest possible place to be asking you all to show up at your best, given you’ve already given everything into a full season and our first meet in London,” Ohanian said.
Despite the cancellation, Ohanian made it clear that nothing is changing for the London event. He also said that ATHLOS has already begun planning for 2027, with Ohanian indicating that New York could return.
That said, Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas and Tara Davis-Woodhall have a closer connection to the series than most athletes. The three Olympic champions are ATHLOS owner-advisors, giving them a role in helping shape the future of the organization. The 2026 field was also expected to feature Olympic champions Masai Russell in the 100m hurdles, Marileidy Paulino in the 400m and Keely Hodgkinson in the 800m. British stars Georgia Hunter Bell and Amber Anning were also among the athletes announced for the London event.
With so many of the sport’s biggest names involved, ATHLOS had clearly set its sights on becoming a bigger part of the athletics calendar.