Track and field is at a crossroads, and  Michael Johnson’s ambitious Grand Slam Track (GST), once touted as a revolutionary circuit, is now staring at mounting debts. Reports suggest the league won’t return in 2026 unless athletes are compensated for competing in 2025. That financial hole has cast doubt on GST’s future. Meanwhile, Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos is thriving. After a strong 2025 launch, the venture-backed platform is preparing to expand into a team-based league by 2026, signaling momentum that GST currently lacks. So what happens when one dream falters and another surges?

That’s where Aaron Brown steps in. The Canadian sprinter, a three-time Olympic medalist and one of the sport’s most articulate voices, believes bold solutions are necessary to “save” track and field.

Speaking on a CBC podcast, Brown cut straight to the point. “If we get one investor who believes in the vision, who sees what track and field could be at its full potential, and wants to get behind it despite having that hole of people having to be paid, I think it’s possible.” His message was clear. The money exists; the question is whether anyone will leap. Then Brown floated a daring idea.

What if Johnson and Ohanian joined forces? “Picture this. We do have Athlos, right? What if Michael Johnson, Alexis Ohanian come together to make one big league? That could be possible. That’s your investor right there. He’s already bullish on track and field,” Brown explained. In his mind, a Grand Slam Track-Athlos merger could consolidate resources, fan bases, and sponsorship clout into a product strong enough to rival other global sports.

Brown acknowledged that collaboration might need fine-tuning. A corporate partner like Nike or even World Athletics could lend legitimacy and financial backing. Advertising, formats, and audience engagement may evolve, but that’s the nature of growth. The core, he argued, is vision, and Johnson is already out there selling it.

Brown’s roadmap doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges. Yet by stressing that billionaires exist and money is not the problem, he reframes the debate. Track and field’s survival hinges not on scarcity, but on belief. The lingering question is simple—who will be the first to believe enough to buy in?

Meanwhile, people are venting out their frustration…

Athletes call out Michael Johnson amid GST’s financial fiasco

Michael Johnson launched the Grand Slam Track (GST) league with big promises of $30 million in funding and game-changing payouts, but now it is hitting rock bottom. Just last week, on August 15, 2025, Johnson dropped a heartfelt letter admitting the league owes athletes a whopping $13 million in unpaid prize money from the 2025 season, putting the 2026 edition on indefinite hold until every cent is settled.

He even apologized deeply. “It is incredibly difficult to live with the reality that you’ve built something bigger than yourself while simultaneously feeling like you’ve let down the very people you set out to help.” The inaugural season wrapped early after the Philadelphia Slam on June 28, scrapping the LA finale due to cash shortages, leaving stars high and dry. But who’s stepping up to voice the frustration?

Here comes U.S. hurdler Freddie Crittenden. He’s been vocal since July, revealing he’s only seen a “tiny bit” of his $107,500 earnings, still owed $57,500 excluding Kingston payments. “They said it would be different. So, it’s hard to let that slide,” he fumed in a July 26 video, slamming the financial scrutiny on GST.

Then there’s Gabby Thomas, who quipped “So dope!!! pls pay me” on a GST TikTok, chasing her $180,000 haul from top finishes like $100,000 in Kingston. Canadian miler Charles Philibert-Thiboutot’s waiting on $10,000, also patiently noted, “They have to pay us.” Even agents like Cubie Seegobin for Jamaican Roshawn Clarke are worried about the $50,000 owed. With athletes like these demanding answers, how long can the silence last?

As of August 21, 2025, no payments have materialized—Johnson’s hunting investors, optimistic about field events’ future, but critics like journalist Toni Reavis call GST “a mess.” An Olympic gold medalist advised focusing on debts first. Will fresh cash revive this dream, or is the track’s revolution stalling for good?