Sha Carri Richardson joins Team USA stars getting Athlos stake

(Bloomberg) – Athlos, the all-female track event founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is expanding into a team-based league for 2026 and adding field events.

The league will be headlined by Olympic medallists and Team USA standouts Sha’Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas and Tara Davis-Woodhall, who will all serve as adviser-owners and shareholders in the league.

“For so long, athletes, especially in track, have carried the show but never owned the stage. To have a seat at the table where the decisions get made? That’s powerful,” Richardson said in an e-mailed statement to Bloomberg.

Ohanian launched Athlos – the Greek word for contest – in 2024 in an ambitious attempt to shake up women’s track, combining music, racing and bigger prize money.

Athlos held its inaugural race in September 2024 at Icahn Stadium in New York City. It showcased six sprint style races, with a DJ playing in between every race and each runner being introduced with a walkout song. They gave away one of the largest prize purses in the sport’s history along, with US$60,000 (S$77,200) for the winners plus a Tiffany’s crown. The night ended with a concert by rapper Megan Thee Stallion.

“Athlos isn’t just trying to fit track into an old model. It’s building something new that honours the athletes, the culture, and the competition in a way that grabs people’s attention and makes the sport accessible. That’s what’s going to push the sport into the mainstream,” Richardson said of how Athlos is set to elevate the sport.

The first season drew about three million viewers, the company said. Now they will host another race at Icahn Stadium in October 2025 before launching the league next year.

No specific financials were released about the league, but Athlos confirmed there will be individual prizes per meet, and a