American Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas was edged by Brittany Brown as many of the world’s top women’s track athletes competed for record prizes at the inaugural Athlos NYC.
Thomas, winner of three golds at Paris 2024, clocked 22.21 seconds but was beaten by Olympic bronze medallist Brown, who crossed the line in 22.18.
Kenyan 1500m world record holder Faith Kipyegon and Olympic 400m champion Marileidy Paulino were among the winners to receive $60,000 (£44,900) at the women’s-only track invitational.
Alexis Ohanian – Reddit co-founder and husband of tennis’ 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams – launched the event, which boasts a record $500,000 (£374,000) prize pool for a women’s track meet.
“I feel like this sport is really changing and growing – I’m excited to be a part of it,” Brown said.
The Diamond League, in comparison, offers a $15,000 (£11,200) first prize across its 15 series meetings, rising to $30,000 (£22,400) for the final.
Thirty-six athletes competed at the Icahn Stadium across the 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles, 800m, and 1500m, with victors also receiving a crown by New York jewellers Tiffany & Co.
“I asked these women, I was like, ‘Hey, so what is your top prize at the end of a season for winning?’ And they said $30,000,” Ohanian told Reuters.
“And I said, ‘Great, I’m going to double it for one single race’.”
Great Britain’s Daryll Neita (11.29 seconds) was fourth in the 100m, won by Marie Josee Ta Lou-Smith of the Ivory Coast in 10.98.
Katie Snowden ran four minutes 07.57 seconds to place sixth in the 1500m, as Olympic and world champion Kipyegon won in 4:04.79 ahead of Ethiopian Diribe Welteji.
Paulinho won the 400m title in 49.59 seconds, while Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn took victory in the 100m hurdles in 12.36 seconds.
Olympic 800m silver medallist Tsige Duguma beat Kenya’s world champion Mary Moraa over the two-lap race in 1:57.43.
The Athlos meeting continues wider investment in the sport and its athletes, with World Athletics paying Olympic champions for the first time at the Paris Games this year.
In June, American legend Michael Johnson announced the launch of a lucrative new athletics league starting in April 2025 called Grand Slam track, with a total of $12.6m in prize money.
And last week, the Diamond League said it would raise its prize money for the 2025 season.
“This is bigger than myself and it’s bigger than this race,” said Thomas, who added 4x100m and 4x400m relay golds to her 200m win in Paris.
“It’s about what we’re doing for women’s sports and what this event, in particular, means for women’s sport and for track and field.”
Ohanian founded Athlos NYC following his investment in Los Angeles-based NWSL side Angel City FC last year, when the club became the most expensive women’s sports team in the world.
“You just look at the follower counts, you look at the engagement. Women athletes – and in this example, with track – just are way more compelling,” said Ohanian.
“I have a ‘Spidey sense’ for where there are hyper-engaged communities of fans and women’s sports has them in droves.”