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23 May, 2025

By Grand Slam Track

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Full group of Challengers revealed; Racers and Challengers will compete at Franklin Field for the largest prize money pool ever offered in the sport.

New York, NY (May 23, 2025) - Grand Slam Track™, the global home of professional track competition launched by four-time Olympic Champion Michael Johnson, today officially announced the full field of 96 Racers & Challengers who will compete in the Philadelphia Slam - the third event in the league’s inaugural season. The Slam will take place at historic Franklin Field on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, May 31–June 1.

The group of Challengers announced today is headlined by international superstars such as Anna Cockrell, Christian Coleman, Graham Blanks, Dina Asher-Smith, and Ejgayehu Taye. Signed Racers Devon Allen, Masai Russell, Roshawn Clarke, Cyréna Samba-Mayela, Oblique Seville, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, and Luis Grijalva will miss the Philadelphia Slam due to injuries. An additional Challenger has been added to each of their Race Groups as a result. Grand Slam Track™ signed Racer Fred Kerley is suspended pending the completion of legal proceedings and will not compete in Philadelphia. His lane will also be filled by an additional Challenger. The competitors collectively represent a total of 22 different countries, exemplifying Grand Slam Track™’s reach as a global league.

“We couldn't be more excited to announce the full field of competitors for the Philadelphia Slam,” said Michael Johnson, the league’s founder and Commissioner. “The racing at the Miami Slam was truly world-class, and we will have even more energy and entertainment for our third Slam. The spectators in the stands at Franklin Field, and all the fans watching from home, are going to see the fastest humans in the world taking our combat-style racing to the next level.”

Across Grand Slam Track™’s first two Slams (Kingston, Jamaica, and Miami, Florida), 5 Racers have won two Slam Championships. Grant Fisher, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Sydney McLaughin-Levrone, Kenny Bednarek, and Alison dos Santos have all taken home the maximum $200,000 in prize money, with the latter three remaining undefeated across four races each. Slam Champions from 9 different countries have been crowned so far: USA, UK, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago & France.

Tickets for the Philadelphia Slam can be purchased here. Grand Slam Track™ is being broadcast in 198 countries and territories worldwide. For information on where to watch, click here. For further information, please follow @GrandSlamTrack on all social media platforms, and visit grandslamtrack.com.

Full Philadelphia Slam Race Groups (® denotes Racer; © denotes Challenger, newly announced names in bold):

Men’s Short Sprints: Kenny Bednarek ®, Zharnel Hughes ®, Andre De Grasse ©, Christian Miller ©, Christian Coleman ©, Bryan Levell ©, Udodi Onwuzurike ©, Aaron Brown ©.

Women’s Short Sprints: Gabby Thomas ®, Brittany Brown ®, Daryll Neita ®, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ®, Tamari Davis ©, Thelma Davies ©, Dina Asher-Smith ©, Jadyn Mays ©.

Men’s Long Sprints: Matthew Hudson-Smith ®, Muzala Samukonga ®, Steven Gardiner ®, Jereem Richards ®, Jevaughn Powell ©, Alexander Ogando ©, Khaleb McRae ©, Matthew Boling ©.

Women’s Long Sprints:, Nickisha Pryce ®, Alexis Holmes ®, Marileidy Paulino ®, Salwa Eid Naser ®, Isabella Whittaker ©, Laviai Nielsen ©, Jessika Gbai ©, Sharlene Mawdsley ©.

Men’s Short Hurdles: Freddie Crittenden ®, Sasha Zhoya ®, Daniel Roberts ®, Trey Cunningham ©, Jakub Szymański ©, Lorenzo Simonelli ©, Cordell Tinch ©, Jamal Britt ©.

Women’s Short Hurdles: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ®, Ackera Nugent ®, Danielle Williams ©, Ditaji Kambundji ©, Tia Jones ©, Christina Clemons ©, Tonea Marshall ©, Megan Tapper ©.

Men’s Long Hurdles: Alison dos Santos ®, Clément Ducos ®, Caleb Dean ®, Trevor Bassitt ©, Chris Robinson ©, CJ Allen ©, Assinie Wilson ©, Gerald Drummond ©.

Women’s Long Hurdles: Shamier Little ®, Rushell Clayton ®, Jasmine Jones ®, Lina Nielsen ©, Dalilah Muhammad ©, Ayomide Folorunso ©, Anna Cockrell ©, Andrenette Knight ©.

Men’s Short Distance: Cole Hocker ®, Josh Kerr ®, Yared Nuguse ®, Marco Arop ®, Hobbs Kessler ©, Josh Hoey ©, Elliot Giles ©, Samuel Chapple ©.

Women’s Short Distance: Jess Hull ®, Nikki Hiltz ®, Diribe Welteji ®, Mary Moraa ®, Georgia Hunter Bell ©, Nia Akins ©, Abbey Caldwell ©, Addy Wiley ©.

Men’s Long Distance: Grant Fisher ®, Ronald Kwemoi ®, Hagos Gebrhiwet ®, Graham Blanks ©, Nico Young ©, Ky Robinson ©, Edwin Kurgat ©, Andrew Coscoran ©.

Women’s Long Distance: Nozomi Tanaka ®, Tsige Gebreselama ®, Agnes Ngetich ®, Elise Cranny ®, Ejgayehu Taye ©, Weini Kelati ©, Medina Eisa ©, Josette Andrews ©.

About Grand Slam Track

Grand Slam Track™ is the global home of elite track competition founded by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson. The league is redefining the landscape of track with a focus on head-to-head competition between the fastest humans on the planet: fostering rivalries, celebrating racing, and putting fans first. The league features a roster of 48 Racers signed to compete in four annual Slams and includes superstars like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Kenny Bednarek, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Grant Fisher, Josh Kerr, Marileidy Paulino, and many more. These Racers compete against 48 Challengers, who vary per Slam; each Slam features the largest and deepest prize purse in the history of the sport. The inaugural Grand Slam Track™ season in 2025 sees Slams take place in Kingston, Jamaica; Miami; Philadelphia; and Los Angeles. For more information, visit grandslamtrack.com.

About Michael Johnson

Born in Dallas, Texas, Michael Johnson is a Hall of Fame track and field star, universally recognized as one of the greatest sprinters of all time. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships across his career, and held world and Olympic records in both the 200m and 400m races. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Johnson became the first and only male athlete to win the Gold medal in both the 200m and 400m at the same Olympics. Since retiring from active competition, Johnson has become a serial entrepreneur and investor, as well as highly sought after performance mindset speaker and an award winning television commentator. Johnson has been a pundit for the BBC’s coverage of every Olympics Games since Athens 2004, and remains a key voice on, and advocate for the sport. Johnson was inducted into the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Ben Sosenko

[email protected]

Callum Squires

[email protected]

On behalf of Grand Slam Track