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≡ U.S. SCHEDULE 2026 ≡
Front Office Sports reported that Grand Slam Track, which staged three of its four planned meets during its first season this year and owes as much as $19 million to athletes and suppliers, has received added capital of about $10 million.
Money for about half of the athlete appearance and prize money from the three meets that were held – in Kingston (JAM), Miramar, Florida and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – was sent on Friday. Winners Alliance, the sports marketing arm of the Professional Tennis Players Association, apparently stepped in with assistance and helped obtain support from other investors.
A message to the athletes and agents who received payments included:
“Today is the beginning of Grand Slam Track’s reboot.
“We apologize for frustrations and hardships caused by the payment delays to date. Over the next 60 days, we will be working hard to make things right with everyone who helped make 2025 a success, to best position GST for 2026 and beyond. This is a critical step in that delicate and difficult process, but know there is a path. Our appreciation of your grace and support as we walk that path cannot be overstated.“
Grand Slam Track founder Michael Johnson has said that the circuit will pay off its 2025 debts before commencing with a 2026 schedule.
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In the meantime, USA Track & Field, trying to rebound from financial constraints, with its December 2023 financial statements showing net asserts of –$4.934 million, did not hold any of its “Grand Prix” events in 2025:
● Bermuda Grand Prix: held in 2022-23-24 was not held
● L.A. Grand Prix: held in 2023-24 was not held
● NYC Grand Prix: held in 2005-15, 2022-23-24, was not held
The USATF events calendar does not show any of these events for 2026, but the World Athletics Continental Tour calendar shows meets in New York and Los Angeles:
● 06 June 2026 (Sat.): Continental Tour Gold ~ USATF N.Y. Grand Prix
● 14 June 2026 (Sun.): Continental Tour Gold ~ USATF L.A. Grand Prix
The timing of these meets is interesting, with a crowded calendar shaping up for 2026, even with no World Athletics Championships, so no U.S. team to be selected. So far:
● 23 May: Diamond League Xiamen (CHN)
● 27-30 May: NCAA Division I Regionals
● 31 May: Diamond League Rabat (MAR)
● 04 June: Diamond League Rome (ITA)
● 06 June: USATF N.Y. Grand Prix
● 07 June: Diamond League Stockholm (SWE)
● 10-13 June: NCAA Division I Championships
● 11 June: Diamond League Oslo (NOR)
● 14 June: USATF L.A. Grand Prix
● 20-21 June: National championships window I
● 26 June: Diamond League Paris (FRA)
● 04 July: Diamond League Eugene
● 10 July: Diamond League Monaco
● 18 July: Diamond League London
● 25-26 July: National championships window II
● 11-13 Sep.: World Athletics Ultimate Championships
USATF has not announced the date or place of its 2026 national championships, but the early date is right in the middle of the Diamond League season, highly inconvenient for American stars trying to make some money on the circuit. The later window is easier.
But none of this figures in Grand Slam Track, which held meets from 4-6 April (Kingston), 2-4 May (Miramar) and 31 May and 1 June (Philadelphia) and planned for a 28-29 June meet at UCLA’s Drake Stadium that was not held. So it could get even more complicated.
Interestingly, where the L.A. Grand Prix one-day meets in 2023 and 2024 sold about 2,600 tickets for the first year and just 2,200 for the second year, the canceled 2025 Grand Slam Track meet had sold – with still about three weeks to go – more than 5,000 tickets for each day!
That demonstrated that there is a market for track & field in Los Angeles, but one which was reached by Grand Slam Track and not USATF in its two prior meets in L.A. That will make the 2026 U.S. meet schedule all the more fascinating.
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