Michael Johnson and Steve Gera were having lunch at Soho House in Malibu two years ago, looking out over the Pacific Ocean, when they first sketched out a plan for what would become Grand Slam Track.
“He pitched me this idea,” recalls Gera, a former US Marine who became a coach and sports executive for several NFL teams and FC Barcelona. “I had the ‘aha’ moment of, oh my god, there is actually nothing in between the Olympics that is the best-of-the-best racers on a consistent basis. Yet this sport is so tremendously popular during the Olympics. Like, what happens?”
Grand Slam Track begins this week in Kingston, Jamaica with a bold and brash promise to reinvigorate athletics, or at least part of it. An elite field of runners have signed up for the new track-only league – there are no field events – which will play out across four weekend-long meets in Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles through April, May and June.
Johnson is the face of the project, a legend of the sport who delivered iconic moments gliding around the Atlanta track in 1996 wearing those famous gold shoes. Oddly his profile is now far greater in Britain where he has worked as a popular pundit for the BBC, and this is something of a comeback into the American consciousness.
His co-founder Gera is equally serious about the sport and he is bullish in their ambitions. “We are maniacally focused on having the youngest fanbase of any sports league in the world in the next five years,” Gera tells The Independent. “That’s our North Star.”
They have laid the groundwork for success, raising more than £25m in funding and promising a £10m prize pot with around £77,000 for winning athletes. They have established dates and venues in a crowded calendar, and lured a litany of Olympic medallists including American track stars Gabby Thomas and Kenny Bednarek who will race against British record holders Dina Asher-Smith and Zharnel Hughes.
TV rights have been sold to major broadcasters covering more than 100 territories, with TNT Sports hosting the show in the UK. Grand Slam Track also has a betting link-up with Chicago-based sports tech company Stats Perform.
But the hard part is converting a compelling idea into lasting success, one that builds its own story and prestige, that develops value and meaning with jeopardy worth tuning in for. Making sport profitable, especially new endeavours like this one, is a difficult business.
The Saudi-backed LIV Golf had star players and vast investment to go with TV deals and an eye-watering marketing budget, but interest has somewhat petered out as it battles with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour for space and for stars. Why will Grand Slam Track be any different?
While it has some big names signed up, there are several missing too. One notable absentee is the men’s Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles, who questioned the model on a ...
