“We had a hell of a time last year. This year will be even better.” That’s what Alexis Ohanian promised back in March 2025. And he wasn’t kidding. This time around, field events are officially in — yep, Olympic champ Tara Davis-Woodhall is showing up for the long jump. And honestly, no one had any complaints about Athlos NYC 2024. The prize money came through, the champs got those Tiffany & Co. sterling silver crowns, and athletes got to hype themselves up. So what more could they even add? Well, turns out Ohanian had a few tricks up his sleeve.

While hyping up the 2025 Athlos NYC and teasing the surprise, Alexis Ohanian said, “You have a superstar like Tara with millions of followers and a gold medal. You have the best of the best and this opportunity to see them jump — literally, and I had no idea about this before diving in, the distance of a three point line.” So yeah, it’s all about the women’s long jump. But here’s the real kicker: this time, the event’s heading to a spot in NYC that hasn’t seen any track and field action since 2012. Any guesses where?

On July 17, Travis Miller dropped the bomb on X: “ATHLOS announces that the long jump competition will take place at Times Square!” Yep, it’s official — Athlos is bringing its first-ever women’s long jump competition right to the heart of NYC on October 9. And the lineup? Stacked. You’ve got Tara Davis-Woodhall, Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Moore, World Indoors silver medalist Monae’ Nichols, and Olympian Quanesha Burks. Ohanian’s hyped too. “It’s an incredible sport. To put it front and center in Times Square the night before Athlos, it’s going to be a blast.” But how did these ideas come to his mind? 

The Reddit co-founder spilled the tea in his recent CBS Mornings interview. He admitted, “I have to admit, you know, when announcing Athlos last year, I was focused on track. And I got a wonderful message from Tara, kindly and firmly reminding me that field exists and that it’s a really important thing to include. And we actually got to see her at the Olympic trials and captivate an entire stadium of people.” Safe to say, Ohanian saw the light — and the star power Tara brings. Now? She’s got her event, on her terms, right in freakin’ Times Square. And yeah, let’s be real — this feels like a win for Tara, especially after Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track completely overlooked her.

Tara Davis-Woodhall finds a perfect place to send her clear message 

Grand Slam Track didn’t even put the long jump on their list — so Tara Davis-Woodhall? Yeah, she had zero shot at that league. But did she let that kill her love for the sport she’s been doing since she was a kid? Not even close.

Before the Stockholm Diamond League, Tara made it clear: “It’s my dream to just, you know, show the world what long jump is.” And she meant it. By then, she’d already signed up for Athlos NYC 2025, and when asked why, the 26-year-old said, “I just want this sport to be elevated back to where it used to be… I’m trying to change it and let people see it and put a different scope on what track and field is and share the many inspiring stories it has to offer.” Was that a little jab at Michael Johnson’s league? Maybe. Or maybe it’s just Tara being Tara — pushing her sport forward on her own terms.

And now, the Olympic champion and her fellow jumpers are headed to a place that’s become the stage for some massive moments. In June, the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship promo lit up the digital boards at Times Square. A month earlier? They turned Times Square into a boxing ring for Arnold Barboza Jr. vs. Teofimo Lopez for the WBO lightweight title. And next? The women of the long jump are about to own that iconic spot. Tell me you’re not excited — because honestly, how could you not be?