“The prize purse is unlike anything this sport has ever seen … It’s a massive shift,” Olympian Grant Fisher had said about Grand Slam Track’s prize money. With a total purse of US$12.6 million across four Slams, individual winners could take home $100,000 per Slam with subsequent prize money for those who finished second, third, to the very last. But trouble hit when the Los Angeles leg was canceled due to poor ticket sales, limited broadcast deals, and weak sponsorships, saving GST around $3 million. And now many winning athletes like Gabby Thomas and others await their earnings. Amidst all this, a new light arrives in their favor…

In an interview with CVMTV, shared by journalist Jordan Forte on X, Cubie Seegobin, who is the agent of Jamaican Olympic athlete Roshawn Clarke, explained the typical delay in payments. Seegobin confessed in an interview, “I have received the first quarter payment of the appearance fee for my client, Roshawn Clark, and it’s not abnormal that some of these payments take a while. It could take anywhere from 30 to 60 days, depending on doping and whether somebody really wants to pay you, you know, your payment. They’re supposed to pay within 90 days, but most people pay whenever they feel like it.” 

He said that people are unaware that in track and field, it’s common for athletes to wait six to eight months to get paid after a competition. Someone might compete in January but not receive their earnings until nearly a year later. Seegobin further told him he isn’t being paranoid because there’s still a Grand Prix Diamond League meet from 2024 that hasn’t paid them, more than a year later. Despite sending multiple invoices and completing all the necessary paperwork, they’re still waiting for the payment. But that does not mean he will not panic.

Cubie Seegobin continued, “I just have to take, you know, solace in the communication that they have sent directly to me and other managers. All managers are always worried about whether a meeting will affect their financial obligations.” Athletes have put their blood, sweat, and time into these races, and their managers would want to get paid for it.

Roshawn Clarke notes the month of July, while GST senior director of racing Kyle Merber has said, “Our plan is to make payments for Kingston prize money before the end of July and the remaining payments due by the end of September, which includes the honoring of Los Angeles appearance fees.’ Clarke competed in the inaugural Grand Slam Track meet in Kingston (April 4–6, 2025) and earned US$50,000 for finishing second in the Men’s Long Hurdles category, placing fourth in the 400 m flat and second in the 400 m hurdles to accumulate 13 points overall. The Jamaican has an only less than $50,000 in debt on GST, meanwhile, the likes of Sydney McLaughlin Levrone and Gabby Thomas have their amounts in many digits.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, and Co. await pay

Two-time Canadian Olympian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, who competed as a challenger in the long-distance category in Kingston, said he’s been told his prize money is on the way. Philibert-Thiboutot said after his win at the Bislett Games that he also hadn’t received his prize money yet. “It might come. Why shouldn’t it come?” he questioned. “They have to pay us. I’ll be patient and wait.” Thiboutot competed in the long-distance category (3000 m and 5000 m) at the 2025 Kingston Grand Slam Track meet, finishing 8th in both races. With a combined total of 2 points, he placed 8th overall in his event group, earning $10,000.

At a time when athletes like Gabby Thomas are still owed a share of over US$12 million in unpaid prize money, Grand Slam Track released a celebratory TikTok video featuring her. In response, Thomas reactively commented, “So dope!!! pls pay me.” Thomas earned a total of $180,000 across the first three Grand Slam Track meets in 2025. She dominated in Kingston, winning the 200 m and placing second in the 400 m to earn $100,000. In Miami, she won the 200 m and placed fourth in the 100 m, securing $50,000. At the Philadelphia meet, she placed second in the 200 m and fourth in the 100 m, adding another $30,000.

As reported by Matt Lawton in The Times on July 1, top track and field athletes are still awaiting millions in unpaid appearance fees from the Grand Slam Track series, despite the cancellation of its final event. While prize money delays are common due to drug test confirmations, appearance fees are usually paid promptly, but many athletes remain unpaid for Kingston, Miami, and Philadelphia, like Sydney McLaughlin Levrone, Favour Ofili, etc. What are your thoughts on this?