Special Edition: On your mark, get set, change the game

❓ First, let’s start with the origin story. Founded by Serena Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder, and Angel City FC investor Alexis Ohanian, the goal of Athlos NYC is to spotlight elite female track athletes year-round rather than just once every four-year Olympic cycle. The event was born out of Ohanian’s belief that women’s track is underinvested and undervalued.

• As for the meet itself, the vision is to blend sport and culture (more on that below), transforming a track meet into a marquee event where women’s track stars can build audience familiarity and commercial momentum.

👀 As you can imagine, Athlos NYC doesn’t follow the classic playbook. For starters, there are only seven events — the 100m, 100m hurdles, long jump, 800m, 1 mile, 200m, and 400m — compared to, for example, an Olympic meet, which includes 48 contests across both track and field.

• Plus, the competition at Athlos NYC is only half the fun — Ciara (!!!) is performing at the meet, and each athlete gets their own walk-out song.

💸 Let’s talk money. Athlos NYC burst on the scene in 2024 by offering the largest prize purse ever for a women’s-only track meet: $60K (plus a gorgeous Tiffany & Co. crown) to the winner of each race, $25K to the runner-up, and $10K for the third-place finisher

• The prize pool for this year remains a mystery, but organizers have promised it will be “bigger and better” — and the aforementioned Ohanian is spilling some of the tea.

• When the results are confirmed, the winning athletes will immediately be sent their earnings via Cash App…and that’s not all. If any athlete breaks a world record tomorrow, Cash App will send them a $250K bonus. Okay, pay day.

100m hurdles: As if sprinting at top speed wasn’t enough, this star-studded field — highlighted by 2024 Olympic gold medalist Masai Russell — will also tackle 10 hurdles along the way, overtaking them with textbook precision. Prepare to watch poetry in motion.

100m: Côte d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith will be sprinting for a repeat Athlos 100m title, part of a busy night as she’s also set to take on the 200m. Another runner to watch? American Jacious Sears, who holds the second-fastest 100m time in NCAA history.

Long jump: The aforementioned Davis-Woodhall and five fellow competitors will first take on tonight’s 7:30 p.m. ET qualifying live from Times Square, with the top three advancing to tomorrow’s final. Ready to soar.

800m: A mid-distance race requiring both endurance and speed, a lot can happen over the 800m’s two laps around the track — and that’s especially true given the deep field at Athlos. It’s anyone’s guess who’ll top the podium in this one.

1 mile: The inaugural Athlos one-mile race will feature some of the greatest to take the distance on. Three-time Olympic 1500m gold medalist and world record holder Faith Kipyegon will toe the line, alongside American 1500m champion Nikki Hiltz, a fan favorite for everything from their TikTok game to their finishing kick.

200m: Blink and you’ll miss it. The 200m requires athletes to give it their all straight out of the starting blocks. American Brittany Brown is back to defend her 2024 200m Athlos crown, but two of her compatriots, Olympians Anavia Battle and McKenzie Long, will give her a, well, run for her money.

400m: Widely regarded as the hardest event in track & field, the 400m involves runners moving at a full-on sprint…for an entire lap around the track. The Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino capped off her undefeated Olympic gold medal–winning 2024 campaign by topping the 400m podium at Athlos. Can she do it again?

There’s only one thing on track & field star Tara Davis-Woodhall’s mind today: placing top three at the long jump qualifiers so she can compete in the Athlos NYC final tomorrow. But to do that, she’ll need to compete in unfamiliar territory…a sand pit in the middle of Times Square. *gulp*

• Athlos NYC is pushing world champs like Davis-Woodhall to new limits. If she goes the distance today, you can watch her compete in tomorrow’s final on ION.

Starting at 7 p.m. ET, ION is streaming all six Athlos NYC events. After all, ION is the place to watch women’s sports, from track & field to the WNBA and NWSL. Find ION in your area now by clicking this link.

⭐ With stars this bright, every Athlos NYC event is must-see television — and the 200m is no exception. All six women competing are superior sprinters, but two you must keep an eye on while tuning in on ION? That’s Brittany Brown and Anavia Battle.

• Brown and Battle are world-class competitors who are ranked in the top three in the women's 200m, so bragging rights are absolutely on the line.

• Good thing you can catch all the action on ION, your go-to destination for women’s sports and massive rivalry moments, starting tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET.

Whether you’re a track & field fanatic, new to this fast-paced sport, or just want to watch Ciara shine, Athlos NYC is a must-watch women’s sports moment. Tune in tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET on ION, which you can find in your area by clicking this link. See you at the finish line.