When Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track (GST) approached Noah Lyles for participation, the sprint king was hesitant about the league’s future. Certainly, GST had deep pockets, but not for long. With a marketing strategy teetering on the edge and rapid expansion threatening collapse, GST now seems on the path to shutting down. Amid this chaos, Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos isn’t just surviving; it’s thriving, and it appears Noah Lyles has finally chosen his side.

While Michael Johnson and his brainchild, Grand Slam Track, court potential investors, the league is staring at a $19 million liability, $11 million owed to athletes and $8 million to vendors, stemming from unpaid appearance fees and prize money from earlier events, including the canceled Los Angeles meet. Meanwhile, Athlos made a grand return with its second event, and on day one, Times Square witnessed a superstar sighting: none other than 200m world champion Noah Lyles stole the spotlight.

Athlos’ official Instagram dropped a video showing Lyles marking his presence with fiancee Junelle Bromfield. Acknowledging Athlos’ post, the athlete reshared it on his own Instagram story. So, can we say he’s finally chosen his side? It certainly appears so. Well, Lyles was never really against Grand Slam Track; he was just skeptical about the future of the league. While the athlete had his doubts, he still hoped to be proved wrong.

However, reality caught up just months after his statement, as GST canceled its season-ending meet in Los Angeles, a finale intended to crown its champions after stops in Kingston, Miami, and Philadelphia. The main reason about halting those meets was financial strain. Facing low stadium attendance, declining viewership, and rising operational costs, GST decided to cancel its season finale in Los Angeles, plunging the league into massive debt, while Athlos continues to surge ahead.

Back in March, the athlete revealed that he would like to witness the success of GST.“I would love nothing more than for this to be successful. Because if it does, the amount of benefits it would provide, this could be a way for athletes to not have to only rely on World Championships, because you could be potentially be making more money consistently throughout the year.” But he had his doubts.

Lyles mentioned, “Money is not the thing that’s going to drive me every time… who are your outside sponsors, who are your non-track and field sponsors… I haven’t even heard a block’s sponsor.”

From interviews to podcast appearances, Lyles kept repeating one thing: if GST wanted to thrive, it needed to bring in the big guns. Big names. Big stars. Big sponsors. That’s the only way it could offer real value to athletes. And that’s also why he didn’t sign on. Well, things could have been worse for GST, but it appears there’s some positive news coming from the admin office.

Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track rebuilds athlete trust

Grand Slam Track is grappling with massive liabilities, but recent reports hint at a positive shift. With a fresh round of financing secured in September, GST now seems on firmer ground. Several existing investors stepped in with emergency support for Michael Johnson, described by a source close to the league as “up to eight figures.” Fortunately, that infusion was enough to cover half of what Grand Slam owes its athletes.

This update signaled a sharp turn from the tense atmosphere in June, when Johnson cancelled the Los Angeles meet and slashed staff salaries by 15 percent. Athletes were already exploring legal avenues, and agents cautioned that patience was “wearing thin.” A memo to the investors framed the situation clearly: “Today is the beginning of Grand Slam Track’s reboot. We apologize for the frustrations and hardships caused by the payment delays to date. Over the next 60 days, we will be working hard to make things right.”

With total liabilities of $19 million, Grand Slam Track’s story of revival is far from complete. The question now is whether the league will weather the storm or be consumed by debt. Only time will tell.