In a moment where women’s sports are breaking viewership records and rewriting economic models, Athlos arrives as the next major shift: a stage built unapologetically for female athletes.

On the surface, Athlos is a track meet. But from the moment you step into the space, or even scroll across its feed, you understand that it is more of a cultural intervention. It’s a rebalancing of attention around women who have been performing without the infrastructure their excellence deserves.

Athlos was launched by Alexis Ohanian, best known as the co-founder of Reddit and one of tech’s most outspoken investors in women’s sports, but you probably know him as Serena Williams’ husband.

Alexis has also put substantial backing behind the NWSL’s Angel City FC and has consistently challenged the systemic underinvestment in women’s athletics. His involvement in Athlos is a strategic bet on the future of sport, business, and storytelling.

Athlos positions itself as the first ever women only professional track & field meet, the “Formula 1 of track & field,” per Ohanian. It launched in 2024 at Icahn Stadium in New York City, setting the record for prize money at $60,000, and evolved this year into a full scale spectacle in Times Square.

The event is comprised of 6 track events and 1 field event. Where traditional track meets can feel sprawling and chaotic, Athlos intentionally focuses its lineup and curates events that create a tight, high intensity, cinematic viewing experience.

But what really makes Athlos special is how it partners with athletes as shareholders. Athlos features several elite athletes as board members, bringing athlete leadership to the forefront of decision making.

Notably, Sha’Carri Richardson and gold medal Olympians Gabby Thomas and Tara Davis-Woodhall will have equity in the brand when it expands next year.

In fact, Tara is behind the She Jumps Times Square long jump that took place on October 9, 2025. “He asked me, ‘What do you want as an athlete?’ and I told him, ‘I want to see that long jump as sexy as the 100m dash.’ And he asked me what’s my dream, and I told him, ‘It would be cool to jump in Times Square,'” she shared with Bloomberg.

She went on to share, “$60k in my account. I haven’t even finished cooling off yet and I’ve been paid.” With payment being a sore spot for pro track & field athletes, the executive team at Athlos is on a mission to change that, hand in hand with the ones most affected by it.

When asked why she thinks Athlos is different, Gabby Thomas shared that her involvement in the venture gives her confidence. “We all have equity in it so we want this to work. And we’re not signing up for anything that we don’t believe in fully. So, we’re committed to getting paid.”

To understand why Athlos matters, you have to zoom out. Women’s sports are experiencing a market correction. From college basketball to the WNBA, from tennis to soccer, the world is recognizing that excellence has never been the issue in women’s sports, investment has.

Athlos sits in the center of that shift. It acknowledges that women deserve platforms designed with their stories, talent, and commercial potential at the forefront.

When women’s sports get resourced, the entire ecosystem changes. Athlos is showing what’s possible when athletes are supported not just as performers, but as partners in the vision.