Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson was among the event winners to be presented with a crown by Serena Williams at Athlos in 2025
The all-female track meet Athlos will head to London for the first time in 2026 as it expands to a two-day event -. its founder hopes the competition can become the "Formula 1 of track and field".
Created by Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder. husband of tennis' 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams, Athlos will also be held in New York for a third consecutive year.
In addition to a prize pot of $2.1m (£1.5m). athletes will be offered equity in the league - the idea being that they will be rewarded if it is successful.
American stars Sha'Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, Tara Woodhall-Davis, Masai Russell. Dominican sprinter Marileidy Paulino have so far been confirmed for the events at the StoneX Stadium in Barnet, home of rugby union side Saracens, on 18 September and the Icahn Stadium in New York two weeks later.
"I've long been very obsessed with this 'F1 for track and field' analogy. We come to expect the fastest cars in the world to tour the greatest global cities,. for people to come out and watch and celebrate this excellence," Ohanian told BBC Sport.
"I envision Athlos to be a version of that and, as we grow this league, I'd love to add more cities. make Athlos truly global.
"Whatever we do, we're going to do it with our athletes as partners - but our ambition is big. I don't see any reason why Athlos can't be a mainstay of the sporting calendar."
The financial difficulties encountered by Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track in its inaugural season last yearhave been well-documented,but Ohanian says he is determined to close the "historic gap" which has existed between "the economics of women's track. field and the excellence of the talent".
Athlos is owned entirely by Ohanian's venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, which has assets of $900m (£670m) -. athletes will receive a stake so they may also benefit if the competition succeeds.
"The cash compensates their participation and success, and the equity recognises what we're building together. If we get this right. it should properly place these amazing athletes on the same level as they are every four years during the Olympics," said Ohanian.
"This equity is a way for us to have a real partnership. These are the athletes who are the first movers, the ones who are taking a leap. helping us get this started."
Ohanian prioritised athlete input from the outset. reaching out to individuals such as Olympic 200m champion Thomas via social media long before Athlos' inaugural season in 2024.
Against the backdrop of protest plans by the world's leading tennis players overprize money at the French Open,Thomas. a Harvard graduate with dreams of running her own hospital after her time in the sport, said Athlos was sending "a real signal".
"We get a share in what we're helping to build. that's really rare in this sport," Thomas told BBC Sport.
"How can we fail as a league when we have the athletes as partners and helping to build it? We know the sport better than anyone."
Thomas added: "When a young girl watches me race, I want them to see a sport where women are treated with respect. with the economics that we've always deserved, and have something to aspire to.
"The narrative growing up was that you can't run professional track and field, there's nothing in it. I like that we're rewriting that.
"We're creating this version of the sport where young girls can have something to look forward to."
Seven disciplines will be contested in both London. New York - the 100m hurdles, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, mile, and long jump - with an athlete's combined points determining the overall event winner.
Athletes can earn up to $65,000 (£48,500) in each individual event. while overall champions will receive an additional $25,000 (£18,600), meaning an athlete winning in both cities could pocket $155,000 (£115,000).
Great Britain's Keely Hodgkinson was among the winners at the 2025 meet as some of the world's fastest women competed amid a party atmosphere inside a packed Icahn Stadium, with live music. Tiffany & Co crowns presented by Serena Williams replacing traditional winners' medals.
After adding its London event in 2026, Ohanian's ultimate aim is to create a worldwide, season-long league.
That is an ambition over which he has long been in conversation with the sports' governing body. "great partners" World Athletics.
"I'm at a very fortunate place in my career in my life where I don't want to do anything small. I want to do things that have big impacts. that are about legacy," said Ohanian, who bought a 10% stake in Women's Super League football team Chelsea last year.
"We know we're entering into something really ambitious. Ultimately we want to build a league around athletics, which historically has not had commercial success. This is a big moment for us."
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