Grand Slam Track cancels final meet of the inaugural season

Grand Slam Track, the startup track and field league founded by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson, has cancelled the final meet of its inaugural season. The event was originally scheduled for June 28–29 at UCLA’s Drake Stadium in Los Angeles.

According to Front Office Sports, Johnson informed athletes of the decision in a meeting on Thursday morning. A source said the cancellation stemmed from concerns over the venue and broadcast deal in Los Angeles. Instead of moving forward with the final meet, Johnson and the league will instead shift focus to the 2026 season.

A sparsely-filled stands watches on during the men’s long hurdles event at Grand Slam Track in Kingston, Jamaica. Photo: Kevin Morris

Despite a rocky debut year, Grand Slam Track remains optimistic. A Sportico report says the league has added two major investors to help fund its second season: Sundial Brands founder Richelieu Dennis and billionaire businessman Robert F. Smith, both of whom will join the board as strategic investors.

The league made waves in the track and field world by focusing on head-to-head matchups and offering unprecedented prize money. Winners of each event group earned US$100,000 per meet—except for the long-distance group at the Philadelphia Slam, held May 31–June 1, who were only awarded half the purse.

In total, the league hosted three meets this season: Kingston, Jamaica (April 4–6), Miramar, Fla. (May 2–4), and most recently, Philadelphia (May 31-June 1), which was shortened from three to two days. Attendance and ticket sales fell short of expectations at two of the three meets.

Marco Arop Grand Slam — Canada’s Marco Arop was the lone Canadian in the Racer category Grand Slam Track. Photo: Kevin Morris

Grand Slam Track had initially promised $12.6 million in total prize money. By cancelling the L.A. finale, the league will reportedly save more than $3 million, along with the associated event and travel costs.

Olympic 800m silver medallist Marco Arop was the lone Canadian under contract to compete in the league. He won the short-distance event group at the Philadelphia Slam, defeating world 1,500m champion Josh Kerr and Olympic 1,500m champion Cole Hocker.