Thought Leadership v2
The Crown Jewel of Athletics.
🗓 Thursday June 26, 2025
For decades, the Olympic Games stood alone as the major spotlight for professional track and field athletes. It was the primary stage to acquire sponsors, renew contracts, and earn respect on the global level.
Athletes had one shot every four years to prove themselves. One moment to shine where if you missed it, well, there goes the opportunity to remain relevant and potentially your paycheck too.
Thankfully, the sport of track and field is evolving. The sport is generating more buzz and media attention than ever, provoking a shift in the structure of the professional circuit.
Today, we’re seeing the emergence of several new leagues and track and field events that are providing more opportunities for professional track and field athletes to cash in on their performances. Here are some events we’d like to highlight:
🏆 Grand Slam Track
This series of meets was the first of its kind in the sport, attracting top racers across the world for the chance to earn large sums of cash. Offering USD 100,000 for 1st place finishers at each “Slam,” this league set out to distribute over 12.6 million dollars (USD) during their inaugural season. This is the type of prize money we have never seen in the sport before.
💖 ATHLOS
The ATHLOS meet in NYC has completely changed the game for track and field fans. Highlighting the women of our sport, their fan-centric mindset has created a unique environment that seamlessly blends sport and entertainment. Offering a competitive USD 60,000 to 1st place finishers and bringing in global superstars like Megan Thee Stallion to perform, this meet provided a one-of-a-kind experience for athletes and fans. ATHLOS also recently announced the launch of their official league beginning in 2026.
💎 Wanda Diamond League
The Wanda Diamond League has been around for years, providing top athletes with the opportunity to earn prize money at both their regular season meetings and the Diamond League final. In 2025, the league is set to distribute a record USD 9.24 million in prize money to top finishers at their respective events.
🌎 World Athletics Continental Tour
The Continental Tour, recognized by World Athletics, is a series of track meets that have expanded exponentially in recent years. With four levels of competition - Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Challenger, each meet offers a competitive environment for athletes with varying amounts of prize money. The minimum total prize money to be distributed at “Gold,” meetings is USD 200,000 and often includes payouts for 1st through 8th place finishers.
🇨🇦 CTFL (Canadian Track and Field League)
Established in 2022, the CTFL is a newer league in the North American market that provides opportunities to earn prize money and compete on a professional team in track and field. With 4 teams, each composed of 70 athletes, the league hosts a series of preliminary meets over 10 disciplines where teams can earn points. Concluded by the CTFL Final, the league distributes over CAD 36,000 in prize money and provides unique opportunities for athletes to create content for their brand.
These aren’t just meets, they’re movements. Each event has created a huge shift in momentum for our sport. They’re showing us that track and field is deserving of multiple spotlights and that the sport does not need to orbit around the Olympic cycle.
ProTrackletes is here to amplify this shift and keep our community updated on emerging leagues and events.
