On the right track

The GIST: In an exclusive conversation with The GIST yesterday, pro track competition Grand Slam Track’s (GST) director of athletes and racing Kyle Merber shared that the new league recently signed three Olympic medalists. As the Diamond League raises its prize money and Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos happens tomorrow, GST’s additions prove the sport is ripe for development — it just needs a little repackaging.

The context: GST was launched earlier this year by American track legend Michael Johnson and is set to begin in 2025. Currently, track athletes primarily compete in the Diamond League and the Continental Tour, but the sport is unique in that world-class athletes will also pop up at college events and all-comers meets, according to Merber.

The problem: Outside of the Olympics, track stars typically lack opportunities and exposure — Merber explained track’s biggest pain point is “visibility.” The sports calendar is packed with meets, but athlete availability varies and may be decided mere days before a race, leaving little time to advertise and build hype around specific runners.

• In turn, this affects how track is consumed. “It’s often a sport that’s enjoyed in retrospect,” Merber said, with fans often seeing interesting results and going back to watch the race instead of tuning in live like they do for the Olympics.

The signings: GST wants to fix this problem by guaranteeing top athletes at competitions four times a year. These participants will include newly-signed Paris 2024 women’s 100m hurdles medalists Masai Russell, Cyréna Samba-Mayela, and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn. They join seven other GST signees, including 400m hurdles world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

• GST’s moves capitalize on viral track moments: Russell’s narrow 100m hurdles victory garnered 1M views on NBC Sports’ YouTube, while McLaughlin-Levrone’s two record-breaking performances powered strong viewership at the Olympic trials and in Paris.

Zooming out: In 2019, track & field was the eighth most-followed sport in America, which the sport’s U.S. governing body wants to boost to fifth place by LA28. According to Merber, a big part of GST’s strategy is building fan familiarity with athletes so that by the next Olympics, everyone will be ready to root for the sport’s top stars — including sponsors and marketers.

• One major draw of GST is that aside from historic prize money, the league is offering group licensing and marketing opportunities to athletes, as well as brand building and content support. Signature shoes, incoming.

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