I went to Alexis Ohanian’s women’s-only track event. It was exactly what I expected from a tech millionaire.

Athlos NYC was a first-of-its-kind track experience featuring an all-star all-women roster.

Courtesy of Manseen Logan

I attended Athlos, Alexis Ohanian’s all-women track competition.
Ohanian’s venture fund Seven Seven Six hosted the inaugural race, awarding over $500,000.
It was flashy with Tiffany & Co. crowns, high cash prizes, colorful lights, and lots of music.

For two weeks straight, my Instagram feed was flooded with ads featuring Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian promoting his latest investment, a futuristic women’s-only track competition.

I brushed off the first couple of IG posts, but after a while, I became intrigued. What type of track event would a multimillionaire tech founder help to create?

Ohanian calls it Athlos, and his venture fund Seven Seven Six just hosted the inaugural all-woman race on Thursday. Competitors were awarded over $500,000 collectively, with first-place winners earning Tiffany crowns instead of medals or trophies and a $60,000 cash prize. That’s double the money typically given to male or female track athletes.

The tech founder turned investor is married to Serena Williams, one of the greatest athletes ever. He’s also a founding investor and owner of Angel City FC, a soccer team that reportedly just became the world’s most valuable women’s sports team after Disney’s Bob Iger and his wife Willow Bay reached a $250 million deal to become controlling owners.

Of course, Ohanian was at the event with one of his daughters. But if anyone thinks he’s simply investing to improve women’s sports in the future, he made it clear, “It’s never about charity or altruism. It’s about capitalism.”

Since I cover track on my personal time and just reported on the sport at the Paris Olympics, I wanted to see what Ohanian would offer. I attended the first-of-its-kind event at Ichan Stadium in New York, and although it had a few flaws, it was exceptional.

Ichan Stadium looked iconic

Athlos digital board with names of 200m track athletes: Anavia Battle, Shamier Little, Tamara Clark, Brittany Brown, Torrie Lewis, Jenna Prandini — The Billboard leading into the Stadium broadcasted the athlete’s names.
Courtesy of Manseen Logan

This was my first time at Ichan Stadium, and I was impressed with how Athlos used the space. The columns were lit up with pink and purple lights, creating a futuristic aura. The track was also lined with flashy strobes and light panels.

There was a digital backdrop leading into the venue with the names of the athletes running across it. Immediately, I thought to myself, this is the type of track meet a tech founder would host.

Athlos NYC ticket prices were high but reasonable

Athlos Ticket price — The cheapest tickets ran for almost $50 including fees.
Courtesy of Manseen Logan

Just like everything tech-related, this event came at a cost. Ticket prices ranged from $50 to $500. I missed the chance to nab the cheapest ticket because the website glitched and wouldn’t complete my transaction. I was annoyed. It almost felt like Athlos didn’t want my money — or maybe it wanted more.

I ended up purchasing an $80 ticket at the door. For comparison, the USATF NYC Grand Prix, a separate notable track event hosted at the same stadium, charged $70 for its most expensive VIP tickets this season.

Still, I think the prices were reasonable, considering everything Athlos offered.

I loved the synchronized wristbands that connected the crowd

The Athlos LED wristband — The entire stadium lit up.
Courtesy of Manseen Logan

Everyone in the stands received synchronized LED wristbands that lit up to create constant movement. This small but impactful technology helped give the event even more of a concert feel. It was a nice memorabilia as well.

I also spotted Grammy-nominated rapper Flavor Flav, who Ohanian joined to help pay US Olympian Veronica Fraley’s rent during the Paris Games. I wondered which other big names were in the audience and would’ve loved to see them highlighted on the jumbotrons between the races.

The music took the experience to another level

The track was covered and the stage was prepared for Megan Thee Stallion's performance. — Staff covered the track to allow fans to have a closer look at the Megan Thee Stallion performance.
Courtesy of Manseen Logan

Music at a big track and field event isn’t uncommon, but a stage on the side of the track at the 50-meter mark with a DJ and MC is.

Athlos had six track events with 20-minute intermissions between each race. During those breaks, DJ D-Nice played music that had almost everyone on their feet. I even had to take off my blazer because I was sweating so much from dancing. This was the highlight for me.

Then Grammy-winning artist Megan Thee Stallion ended the night with a full-out performance. I left the stands early to avoid the mass exit, but I could hear the show from the media area outside the stadium.

Athlos looked and felt expensive but it lacked in a few key areas. What happened to the WiFi?

The crowd at Athlos. — Ichan Stadium was transformed into a track and musical concert.
Courtesy of Manseen Logan

It doesn’t look like Ohanian held back any funds, but I was most disappointed with the WiFi service. Especially since the event felt so hi-tech and had a major internet service provider as a sponsor.

I couldn’t catch a strong enough signal in the stands and thought it might’ve just been my phone service. But even in the press area, I struggled to catch a strong connection while logged into the network.

Me and another media person were left standing in the mixed zone, asking each other, “What happened to the WiFi?”

I couldn’t find the race results anywhere

The Athlos website screenshot — The Athlos website carried the same futuristic theme as the event.
Athlos/Screenshot

When I spoke with the 100m Athlos winner, Marie Josée Talou-Smith from Ivory Coast, she expressed exactly what I felt. She said the event was no-pressure and that she was glad to be able to show up and just enjoy the moment.

The meet felt more like an end-of-the-season celebration than a competition. This reinforced the idea that it didn’t really matter who won, which might’ve been the point, but I’m not sure if it’s a good one.

Organizers didn’t even bother posting the results on the website during or directly after the races. Talou-Smith ran a 10.98. I’d love to see Athlos maintain its joyfulness while maintaining the competitive nature of the sport.

The music and speed needed a tad more blending

Athlos stage on the side of the track — There were speakers in the stands, but I struggled to understand what the athletes said during the interviews.
Courtesy of Manseen Logan

Ohanian promoted Athlos as this blend of speed and sound, but it didn’t always merge.

During the races I watched, the highly anticipated walkout songs barely played since the announcer couldn’t be heard over the music. And when the winners walked onto the stage to be crowned and interviewed, I had trouble hearing the conversation. But I did enjoy seeing them dance and celebrate their wins.

Still, Athlos was a vibe and Ohanian’s approach to women’s track and field is smart

Faith Kipyegon wearing her Tiffany & Co. sterling silver crown after winning the Athlos Toyota 1500m race. — World record-holder and three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon took the Tiffany & Co. 1500m crown at Athlos.
Kevin R Morris

Overall, it’s fair to say there hasn’t been anything like Athlos in track for men or women. It was innovative, entertaining, hype, and totally worth my time. I could see a lot of the tech venture capital wheels spinning throughout the event. And it’s all happening at a time when track and women’s sports are appearing more lucrative.

World Athletics became the first international federation to award prize money at the Olympics. Then, a week before the Athlos meet, the Diamond League announced its increase in cash prizes. At the same time, the WNBA just had its most-watched regular season in 24 years.

It looks like there’s money to be made working with female track athletes, and Ohanian plans to cash in.

Read the original article on Business Insider

This article was originally published by Manseen Logan at All Content from Business Insider (https://www.businessinsider.com/athlos-alexis-ohanian-womens-track-investment-worth-it-2024-9).

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