ATHLOS, the women’s only-track meet that launched in New York City last year, will once again return to the Icahn Stadium in the Big Apple, on October 10.
A number of athletes have already confirmed their places for this season’s edition, with one of the standout names being Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas.
The US athlete was one of the leading people that helped spearhead ATHLOS and also chose it as her 2024 season-ender.
Thomas placed second to Brittany Brown over 200m at ATHLOS, with the pair clocking 22.18 and 22.21 respectively.
Masai Russell and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn – the last two Olympic 100m hurdles champions – have also signed up for the next instalment of ATHLOS and will once again race each other over the distance in October.
At last year’s event in New York City, Camacho-Quinn beat Russell with a time of 12.36, compared to the American’s 12.44.
The other athlete confirmed for this season’s edition is Olympic 400m champion Marileidy Paulino, who arguably produced the performance of last year’s ATHLOS.
Not only did Paulino take the win over one lap in 49.59 but she also saw off the challenge from Alexis Holmes, Salwa Eid Naser, Shamier Little, Lieke Klaver and Lynna Irby-Jackson.
Last season’s inaugural event saw 36 female athletes compete over the 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles, 800m, and 1500m, competing for a first place prize of $60,000 in each discipline.
As well as the action taking place on the track, fans also enjoyed the spectacle off it as well, with a myriad of celebrities trackside and a performance from Grammy Award winning artist Megan Thee Stallion at the end of the night.
The women’s-only invitational was set-up by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian to “help inspire the next generation” and “promote women’s sport”.
“The moment I stepped into Icahn last year, it was immediately apparent that we had to do it again – somehow even bigger,” Ohanian said.” The appetite, the atmosphere, the energy – it was obvious.
“The reception from the athletes, fans, and broader public was beyond what we could have imagined. I can’t wait for everyone to hear what surprises we have in store for 2025.”
Source: AW
