Opportunities in track and field are plentiful, but what about the pay? The sport’s lack of popularity has long been a concern, so much so that sprint king Noah Lyles once called it “dying.” Financial backing is scarce, stability is fleeting, and whether it’s the Diamond League or the World Championships, prize money often feels absurdly low. As World Athletics grapples with how to keep the sport thriving, Alexis Ohanian may have just stumbled upon a game-changing solution.

Recently, reigning Athlos champion Brittany Brown sat down with ESPN for a candid conversation about the upcoming Athlos NYC event. Amid a flurry of questions, one focused on her reaction to Alexis Ohanian’s willingness to double the athletes’ prize money. “Track is a sport that’s still growing. In comparison to other sports, in terms of prize money, we’re just not there yet,” said Brown.

She further added, “I think as we get to LA and farther beyond, it’s important to raise the prize money because a lot of athletes sacrifice so much for this job, and we should be compensated. We should be compensated fairly. It’s super important to start doing this now—start implementing these rules, these statuses, and setting where we need to be.” Well, Alexis heard what the athletes had been saying for years: increase their pay, and he did, and with style.

One of the biggest draws of Athlos NYC for athletes is its staggering prize purse of $663,000, the largest ever for a women-only track and field event. To put it in perspective, even the Diamond League, a cornerstone of global track and field, offers just $30,000 to the winner of its season finale. At Athlos, the rewards are even more generous: each event winner takes home $60,000, while second and third place earn $25,000 and $10,000, respectively.

And that’s not all, as athletes placing fourth through sixth will earn $8,000, $5,000, and $2,500. It doesn’t end there as well. Athletes who will break the world record at the event would get a whopping $250,000. Speaking of earnings, during the inaugural edition, 200m Olympic bronze medalist Brittany Brown emerged as the top earner, raking in $85,000 for just over 33 seconds of racing, $25,000 for her runner-up finish in the 100m, and a cool $60,000 for claiming gold in the 200m.

Alexis Ohanian is doing his best to shake up the world of track and field, but will his efforts pay off? Meanwhile, the Reddit co-founder has another card up his sleeve that might help him get what he wants.

Alexis Ohanian announces game-changing partnership for Athlos

This October 2nd, following Athlos’ announcement of its second season in New York, fans were quick to ask Alexis Ohanian and the organization, “How can I watch Athlos? Will it stream on YouTube?” Well, the league’s official announcement brought good news for the fans: the event will be available through their media partners, including X, DAZN, YouTube, ESPN, and ION. It’s certainly good news for the track and field fans as well as Ohanian, but not so much for Michael Johnson.

Athlos is now delivering what Grand Slam Track (GST) couldn’t. While GST promised global coverage in 189 countries through 21 broadcasting partners, the reality fell short. Where GST failed to provide even a basic platform and entertainment for the athletes, Athlos made sure to deliver it right from the start. Well, Athlos even took it a bit too far as Athlos NYC’s broadcast on ION will also include a pre-show, ‘Icons on ION,’ before the official event broadcast begins at 7 p.m. ET. Range Sports worked with Seven Seven Six to secure media rights and distribution.

With back-to-back announcements, Alexis Ohanian is making sure the world not only witnesses Athlos’ legitimacy but also recognizes how far it has come, considering it only launched last year. Regardless, what are your thoughts on Athlos?