On Friday, Olympic legend and Grand Slam Track Founder and CEO Michael Johnson informed fans of something most already knew and feared from the start.
The fledgling league is in trouble.
Michael Johnson, Grand Slam Track CEO, issued the following statement regarding the league's current financial situation and obligations and its 2026 outlook.
— First and Pen (@firstandpen) August 15, 2025
"The 2026 season will not happen until those obligations are met- and that is my no.1 priority." (📷 mjgold4 IG) pic.twitter.com/pYGNLhUKPm
“While I am no stranger to setbacks and overcoming obstacles, as an athlete, professionally, and personally, this current situation of not being able to pay our athletes and partners has been one of the most difficult challenges I’ve ever experienced,” said the 4x Olympic Gold medalist in a social media post last week.
Johnson noted athletes and vendors have not been paid yet and plans to fulfill the league’s financial obligations have not come to fruition the way they had hoped.
“…unfortunately, we saw circumstances change in ways beyond our control,” he said. “The 2026 season will not happen until those obligations are met- and that is my no.1 priority.”
So what happened to the start-up track league?
In June 2024, prior to the Summer Games in Paris, Michael Johnson announced he would be launching Grand Slam Track in 2025.
“I am delighted to finally unveil Grand Slam Track to the millions of track fans around the world,” said Michael Johnson in the 2024 release. “We are excited to launch this new platform for the planet’s greatest racers in this sport we all love. Our team has worked tirelessly to design and build a product that will be loved by fans and provide opportunities for our racers that they truly deserve. We’re revolutionizing the track landscape, allowing our sport to remain at the forefront of the sporting world year round, and pushing our superstar racers to break new ground in their personal storytelling, competitive success, and marketability.
“Grand Slam Track is going to take our sport to new heights, and we want you to come along for the ride.”
The release described the league’s competition and general operational structure. It also mentioned that GST secured $30 million in funding from investors/partners including Winner’s Alliance, “a global, athlete-centric commercial solution.”
Following the Paris Games, Grand Slam Track shared more news.
