Grand Slam Track (GST), the athletics tour founded by US track legend Michael Johnson, has ended its inaugural season early, cancelling the last of its four meets as it looks to prepare for a new season in 2026.
The Los Angeles GST meet was scheduled to be staged at the Drake Stadium from June 28 to 29, but has now been cancelled, with reports surfacing that the organizers had faced funding issues in relation to the venue.
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The USA Track and Field governing body also pulled its Drake Stadium event, which was set for earlier in June, citing the GST event, stating that it wasn’t viable to hold two meets in the same arena within three weeks of each other.
Now Drake Stadium will be without a summer track meet in 2025 despite being the Olympic track and field host for the LA 2028 Olympic Games.
Johnson, for his part, stated that GST had “successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season,” adding that the group is now looking to 2026 “and beyond” for future GST events.
He continued: “The global economic landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year, and this business decision has been made to ensure our long-term stability as the world’s premier track league.
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By GlobalData“Our attention is now on 2026, with our eyes set on continuing to deliver the best-in-class storytelling, content, and competition that we have become known for in our debut year.
Johnson also revealed that GST is already in contact with potential host cities for future events, and that Los Angeles is being targeted for a meet in 2026.
After the first of the scheduled four meets in Kingston, Jamaica, questions had been asked about the viability of the competition given small crowds and some technical issues.
Subsequent editions in the US in Miami and Philadelphia fared better on the attendance front, even selling out, but there nonetheless remained questions about the series.
Following the Kingston event Steve Gera, president and chief operating officer of GST, posted on social media to suggest that the “explanation of groups and format needs smoothing out,” and that the series needs to “leverage our stadiums better with signage.”
In April, Gera spoke to GlobalData Sport (Sportcal) to discuss GST’s business model, and the swathe of both domestic and international rights deals it had secured.
At that time, Gera commented that GST biggest challenge would be attracting casual fans and “cutting through” the noise of competing entertainment options.
