ATHLOS, led by Alexis Ohanian cancelled its New York City meet. And with that, it ended its two-event 2026 schedule before the second meeting could take place. The New York event was scheduled for October 2, just two weeks after the planned London meeting on September 18. However, the decision was made after consulting with athletes who believed that the second date would push the season too far. But track coach Laurent Meuwly is not convinced ATHLOS handled the situation the right way
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Meuwly, who coaches stars including Femke Bol and Torrie Lewis, shared his reaction on Instagram after the cancellation was announced. He immediately questioned the timing of the decision. “It is very late to come to this realization,” Meuwly wrote, noting that several athletes had already turned down the opportunity because they were expected to commit to both London and New York.
ATHLOS had originally built its name around a single annual meet at New York’s Icahn Stadium. After launching in 2024, the women’s-only event quickly became known for offering some of the biggest prize money in track and field. For 2026, Ohanian wanted to take the idea a step further by turning ATHLOS into a multi-city series. Also, the financial rewards were a major part of the new format.
ATHLOS announced more than $2.1 million in prize money across the two meetings. On paper, it offered athletes another chance to compete for serious money. But Meuwly says the financial incentive was not enough to make athletes want to extend their seasons. “For many of them, the issue was never the money,” he wrote.
The timing was the bigger concern. Elite athletes were already coming off a long season that included the Diamond League circuit, which had 15 meetings including its two-day final, followed by the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Meuwly said many of those athletes simply wanted a proper break after such a demanding season, both physically and mentally. Because participation was tied to both ATHLOS dates, he argued that some athletes had little choice but to reject the entire concept.
That has now created an uncomfortable situation for those athletes. By putting their recovery first and declining the two-meet commitment, they have also missed the chance to compete at the earlier London meeting and earn additional prize money. “This shows again that money is not automatically the main trigger for elite athletes,” Meuwly wrote.
The coach then turned his attention to ATHLOS’ wider ambitions. The event series has positioned itself as an effort to ‘revolutionize’ athletics, but Meuwly believes that vision has to match what athletes actually need. “At some point, you need to accept that the way you believe athletics should be ‘revolutionized’ does not necessarily match the reality of the athletes themselves,” he wrote.
“If you genuinely want to improve the sport,” Meuwly wrote, listening to athletes about “their season, recovery and long-term performance” must be part of that process. But the debate did not end with the cancellation, as the late decision has left ATHLOS dealing with another problem behind the scenes.
ATHLOS faces $75,000 venue cost
The October 2 event was supposed to take place at Icahn Stadium, the 5,000-seat venue on Randall’s Island that hosted ATHLOS’ first two New York meets. Before the cancellation, ATHLOS had agreed to a contract requiring $175,000 in deposits and fees. According to the contract, the $75,000 deposit remains owed even though the event has been called off.
That money will go to the Randall’s Island Park Alliance, the nonprofit that operates Icahn Stadium on New York City parkland. The payment adds another layer to ATHLOS’ late decision. Ohanian said the cancellation was made after athletes expressed concerns about having to compete again so late in the season, particularly after already racing in London on September 18.
“Based on feedback from y’all [the athletes], we now understand that’s the hardest possible place to be asking you all to show up at your best,” Ohanian said in a video announcing the cancellation. He added that asking athletes to compete in London and then return for New York was “a step too far.”
While ATHLOS will still hold its London meeting, the New York cancellation means the organization is absorbing the cost of a venue it will no longer use. Ohanian has said ATHLOS plans to return to New York in 2027, with its future schedule expected to better fit the athletics calendar.