Grand Slam Track (GST), the professional athletics league launched by Olympic legend Michael Johnson, is facing deepening financial turmoil, casting doubt over its long-term viability. Despite high-profile meets in Boston and Los Angeles and widespread interest from global athletes, the league now faces significant debt, including unpaid venue fees and prize money.
One of the most glaring issues is an outstanding debt of over Ksh 10 million for the Miami Slam meet held in May. The payment, owed to the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida, was originally due within 30 days of the event’s conclusion on May 4. A revised payment plan had set a new deadline for July 18, with an initial installment of Ksh 3.8 million due. However, those payments remain unsettled.
The situation worsened with the cancellation of the league’s final event in Los Angeles, which reportedly fell through due to complications with the venue agreement. Other meets have also been affected. In Philadelphia, GST removed the 5,000-meter event entirely and halved prize money for distance races, raising concerns among athletes and fans about transparency and financial management.
GST had previously made bold claims of securing more than Ksh 3 billion in funding commitments from major partners, with plans to revolutionize the track and field landscape. Yet there has been no public record of these financial pledges being fulfilled, and signs of financial instability are becoming increasingly visible.
On the athlete front, tensions are rising. Over Ksh 1 billion in prize money and appearance fees reportedly remains unpaid to athletes who competed in races held in Jamaica, Miami, and Philadelphia. While some appearance fees for earlier events have been settled, most prize money payouts have been delayed, with payments now pushed to late July or even September.
Olympic and world champions who participated in the league have gone public with their frustrations, some taking to social media to demand overdue payments. Internal restructuring has also seen the exit of several high-ranking staff members, adding to speculation about the league’s operational health.
Compounding the situation further, the league is said to owe the City of Miramar nearly Ksh 1.9 million in ticket surcharge fees, linked to revenue generated from the Miami Slam event.
Although the league’s founder remains optimistic about a return in 2026, the mounting unpaid obligations and recent cutbacks raise significant questions about the future of Grand Slam Track.
