Seven disciplines will be contested in both London and New York – the 100m hurdles, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, mile, and long jump – with an athlete’s combined points determining the overall event winner.
Athletes can earn up to $65,000 (£48,500) in each individual event, while overall champions will receive an additional $25,000 (£18,600), meaning an athlete winning in both cities could pocket $155,000 (£115,000).
Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson was among the winners at the 2025 meet as some of the world’s fastest women competed amid a party atmosphere inside a packed Icahn Stadium, with live music and Tiffany & Co crowns presented by Serena Williams replacing traditional winners’ medals.
After adding its London event in 2026, Ohanian’s ultimate aim is to create a worldwide, season-long league.
That is an ambition over which he has long been in conversation with the sports’ governing body and “great partners” World Athletics.
“I’m at a very fortunate place in my career in my life where I don’t want to do anything small. I want to do things that have big impacts, that are about legacy,” said Ohanian, who bought a 10% stake in Women’s Super League football team Chelsea last year.
“We know we’re entering into something really ambitious. Ultimately we want to build a league around athletics, which historically has not had commercial success. This is a big moment for us.”
