Gabby Thomas and Faith Kipyegon headline the women’s-only invitational that has a top prize of $60,000 for each of the athletes
After an enthralling 2024 track and field season, many athletes will end their campaign in the Big Apple at ATHLOS NYC on Thursday (September 26).
The women’s-only invitational was set-up by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian to “help inspire the next generation” and the event, which takes place at the Icahn Stadium, is filled with big name signings.
History Of ATHLOS NYC
A total of 36 athletes will compete ATHLOS NYC at and it will feature the 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles, 800m, and 1500m.
Two standout names are Gabby Thomas and Faith Kipyegon, who both won individual Olympic gold medals and others in Paris earlier this summer.
Gabby Thomas (Getty)
Thomas stood on the top of the 200m podium and was also part of the US women’s 4x100m and 4x400m gold medal winning quartets.
It meant Thomas left the French capital with an incredible three golds, an achievement that no track and field athlete matched at the Paris Games.
The 27-year-old hasn’t competed since then and ATHLOS NYC will be her only and last race after the Olympics this season.
Thomas, who partnered with Ohanian in the creation of ATHLOS NYC, says the meet is “literally going to be the track event of the year.”
Faith Kipyegon (Getty)
Kipyegon is another athlete who will generate huge headlines from the event.
The Kenyan became a triple Olympic 1500m champion in Paris and claimed silver in the 5000m.
A month beforehand, Kipyegon broke her own world 1500m record by seven hundredths of a second, running 3:49.04.
The 30-year-old is competing at ATHLOS NYC because she wants to “inspire women around the world” and believes “the combination of sport, fashion, and music will bring a lot of energy and excitement.”
As well as the action taking place on the track, fans will get to enjoy the spectacle off it as well.
Grammy Award winning artist Megan Thee Stallion will headline during the evening, D-Nice will DJ and each athlete will get their own walk-on song.
Faith Kipyegon in Brussels (Getty)
The prize pot is also incredibly attractive to athletes and is far higher than what they received in the Diamond League this season. For example, the prize pot for first place at ATHLOS NYC will be $60,000. You got $30,000 for winning an event in the Diamond League final at Brussels.
The purse for ATHLOS NYC is as follows: First place: $60,000; Second place: $25,000; Third place: $10,000; Fourth place: $8,000, Fifth place: $5,000; Sixth place: $2,500.
Additionally, 10% of all event revenues will be redistributed to all participating athletes, ensuring significant financial rewards for all who place, not just the top three.
All in all, it will be the largest ever purse for a women’s-only track event.
So, what are some other things you should look out for?
Daryll Neita (Getty)
Daryll Neita and Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith headline the 100m
It’s been a long season but expect one more blockbuster 100m in New York City.
In a much anticipated clash, Daryll Neita goes up against Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith for the top prize of $60,000.
Neita finished fourth in the Olympic 100m final – the best result by a British woman in 64 years – and fifth in the 200m at the Paris Games.
The 28-year-old also anchored Great Britain’s 4x100m relay team – the other three in the final being Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lara-Lansiquot and Amy Hunt – to a silver medal, with the quartet narrowly finishing behind the US.
Added to that, the Brit claimed silver over 200m and gold in the 4x100m at the European Championships.
Neita’s season 100m best of 10.92 came during the heats at the Olympics and she went sub-11 seconds during every single round in the French capital.
Marie-Jose Ta Lou-Smith (Getty)
Ta Lou-Smith was also in the Olympic 100m final but sadly pulled up injured and finished eighth.
Her best mark this season however – the 10.87 she ran in the heats at the Games – is the quickest of anyone in the entire field.
You should also watch out for Brittany Brown, who has a personal best of 10.90 from last year and claimed Olympic 200m bronze in Paris.
The other athletes in the line-up include Zoe Hobbs, Celera Barnes and Candace Hill.
Marileidy Paulino (Getty)
Marileidy Paulino v Salwa Eid Naser in the 400m
The strength in depth of all the events at ATHLOS NYC is impressive but the 400m stands out.
The headliner is gold medallist from Paris Marileidy Paulino, who ran an Olympic record of 48.17 at the Stade de France.
That time put Paulino fourth on the all-time 400m list and was the quickest run by a female over one lap since Salwa Eid Naser’s 48.14 from the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
Eid Naser, who returned to the track last season after a two-year ban due to whereabouts failures, claimed the silver medal in the French capital and clocked 48.53 herself.
Paulino also beat Eid Naser at the Brussels Diamond League, in a bizarre race which saw the Bahraini disqualified for running in her rival’s lane.
Alexis Holmes (Getty)
Alexis Holmes, who finished second to Paulino in that race and placed sixth with a personal best of 49.77 in the Olympic final, will compete at ATHLOS NYC.
The American also anchored the US women’s 4x400m to glory at the Olympics and could challenge both Paulino and Eid Naser if they aren’t at their best.
Holmes’ teammate Shamier Little will join her on the starting line at the Icahn Stadium. Little is the current world silver medallist in the 400m hurdles and has a personal 400m best of 49.68 from last season.
Don’t count out Lieke Klaver as well. The Dutch athlete ran a best of 49.58 in July’s London Diamond League and was also part of the Netherlands’ Olympic golden mixed 4x400m team and the women’s 4x400m that claimed silver behind the US.
The final athlete in the 400m field is American Lynna Irby-Jackson, who boasts a personal 400m best of 49.80.
Mary Moraa (Getty)
Mary Moraa looks to finish season in style
World 800m champion and Olympic bronze medallist Mary Moraa will be the favourite over two laps at ATHLOS NYC.
Since the Olympics Moraa has claimed the Diamond League 800m crown, become the fastest female athlete over 600m in history with 1:21.63 and lost just one race, over 1000m.
Moraa has shown no signs of slowing down and actually recorded her season best at the Brussels Diamond League final, running 1:56.56 to see off Georgia Bell.
The Kenyan’s main challenger at ATHLOS NYC will likely be Tsige Duguma.
The Ethiopian has had a breakthrough season and won the world indoor 800m title in Glasgow earlier on in the year before following that up with Olympic silver over the distance in Paris.
Other athletes in the ATHLOS NYC field include Natoya Goule-Toppin, Halimah Nakaayi, Nia Akins and Addy Wiley.
Tsige Duguma with Jemma Reekie (Getty)
These are the full list of athletes for each discipline at ATHLOS NYC.
100m – Daryll Neita, Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith, Brittany Brown, Zoe Hobbs, Celera Barnes and Candace Hill
100m hurdles – Masai Russell, Alaysha Johnson, Danielle Williams, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Kendra Harrison and Tonea Marshall
200m – Gabby Thomas, Jenna Prandini, Brittany Brown, Anavia Battle, Torrie Lewis and Tamara Clark
400m – Marileidy Paulino, Lieke Klaver, Alexis Holmes, Salwa Eid Naser, Shamier Little and Lynna Irby-Jackson
800m – Mary Moraa, Tsige Duguma, Natoya Goule-Toppin, Halimah Nakaayi, Nia Akins and Addy Wiley
1500m – Faith Kipyegon, Gudaf Tsegay, Dribe Welteji, Cory McGee, Katie Snowden and Susan Ejore-Sanders
The event begins at 19:00 ET/00:00 BST at the Icahn Stadium in New York City on September 26.
You can watch it on ATHLOS’ Twitter and Youtube accounts or on ESPN/DAZN.
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