Grand Slam Track Cancels Final Slam In LA Scheduled For Later This Month

After hosting three of their four scheduled meets, Grand Slam Track is canceling their final competition, which was scheduled to take place in LA on June 28th-29th at UCLA’s Drake Stadium. Several sources, including Front Office Sports, confirmed that Grand Slam Track had concerns about the venue deal, which is among the reasons for the cancellation.

In the wake of this decision, Runner’s World reported the league would use this time to focus its efforts on the 2026 season and bring in new investors.

Grand Slam Track has competed in three cities this year, including Jamaica, Miami, and Philadelphia. The first two meets were contested on a three-day schedule. After the conclusion of the Miami Slam, the league announced it would adopt a two-day schedule that would exclude the 5K, which unfortunately cut the potential earnings of the long-distance athletes in half since they would no longer be eligible for the $100,000 grand prize.

When Grand Slam Track was first announced last year, a significant selling point for the league was the $100,000 grand prize. Their prize purse totals $12.6 million dollars, which is unheard of in track and field. The league was enticing not only for its historic prize money but also for its innovative approach to competition. Athletes would be scored on two events in a particular race category. Whoever earned the most points would be crowned Slam champion and bring home $100,000.

Winners Alliance invested $30 million into Grand Slam Track last year. They also added billionaire Robert F. Smith to their board of directors. With such strong financial backing, some fans have faith that the league will survive the foreseeable future. In contrast, others voice concerns about the league’s ability to stay afloat after canceling LA.

In an interview I did in November with the league commissioner, Michael Johnson, Johnson expressed that his whole goal was to transform track into something people had never seen before. By studying other leagues and sports, he believed he could pull bits and pieces into his league and form something that would be enjoyable for new and longtime track fans.

Grand Slam Track has been a monumental venture for many involved. At the time of the Miami Slam, newly sponsored Nike athlete Jacory Patterson was unsigned and working until 4 a.m. during the weekdays to earn enough money to fund his track dreams. He earned $50,000 in Miami, which is more than what he made in a year working at UPS.

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Jamal Britt is another athlete who benefitted from the league. Britt, also unsponsored, became Slam Champion. When I asked what he would do with the $100,000, he stated he would use the money to pay for medical treatment and anything he needs to stay ready for the rest of the season.

An all-staff meeting will be held today to address the decision to cancel LA and the future of the league.

Before the news about Grand Slam Track was released, USATF announced weeks ago that they were canceling their meets in New York, LA, and Bermuda. These meets served as high-level World Athletics competitions for elite professional athletes to race in on U.S. soil. Between now and the end of the season, the Prefontaine Classic, The Ed Murphy Classic, and ATHLOS NYC will be the only high-ranking World Athletics meets to happen in the U.S.