ATHLOS entered 2026 hoping to take a major step forward, but the season has already come with an unexpected cost. The organization planned to expand from one New York event to a two-city series, only to cancel its second meet in New York. Even after that, ATHLOS still had to pay a $75,000 stadium deposit. That made Friday’s London event on September 18 even more important. After investing money, star athletes, and a major international stage in the London event, the scenes in the stands may have left the organization with another problem to consider.

Despite having Richardson, Klaudia Kazimierska, home favorite Keely Hodgkinson, Gabby Thomas, and several other big names in the last major event of 2026, ATHLOS London did not appear to draw the kind of crowd some might have expected from the event’s buildup. The meet featured 42 athletes across seven events. Yet the crowd appeared much less impressive than the field.

Before the event, ATHLOS promoted London as a sellout. On paper, that sounded like a major achievement, especially with the meeting taking place at StoneX Stadium, a rugby venue in northwest London with a listed capacity of 10,500.  But once the action got underway, the scenes in the stands told a different story.

One fan watching the event questioned the sellout description, writing, “Stop saying it’s a sell out. Theres 1 (small) stand being used. I’ve seen more spectators at our county championships!” Another fan raised a different question: “Is Athlos even making any profit cuz why didn’t they sell tickets for seats on the other side of the stadium”

Those comments point to an important detail behind the sellout claim. ATHLOS was not selling tickets for the entire 10,500-seat stadium. Reporting before the event indicated that the organization was using only one grandstand for spectators, with just under 3,000 seats available, while the opposite side was covered and not being used for fans.

Another spectator claimed, “They’re saying ‘Sold out’… they’ve filled the main stand, the rest of the stadium is empty.. So 2/3000 people.” Another fan who said they were at the event estimated, “3k max,” while describing, “this worst meet I’ve ever been too by far.”

One more reaction was even more blunt, with a fan calling the event “Americanised crap.”

This is not the first time ATHLOS has had to prove that its growing ambitions can translate into a strong live audience. The inaugural 2024 meeting at New York’s Icahn Stadium was not sold out, but the event had attracted about 3 million viewers online.

By 2025, the event had gained more momentum, as ATHLOS had increased its revenue roughly three to four times compared with its first year. London, however, represented a new test. ATHLOS was making its international debut while bringing together some of the sport’s biggest stars. And the action on the track certainly delivered.

Richardson, competing in her final track event of the 2026 season, won the 100m in 10.80 seconds to set an ATHLOS meeting record. Zoe Hobbs finished second in 11.19, while Anavia Battle took third in 11.25. Alaysha Johnson also claimed a narrow victory in the 100m hurdles, edging world record holder Tobi Amusan by just 0.01 seconds. Johnson ran 12.50, while Amusan finished in 12.51.

In the long jump, Alyssa Jones won with 6.66m, while Kazimierska claimed the mile in 4:19.43, finishing just ahead of Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell. The star power was there. The competition was there. But the visible gaps around the stadium have raised another question for ATHLOS: can the league turn elite women’s track and field into a product that consistently attracts large crowds?