Olympian Gabby Thomas and Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian have come together to launch the 776 Invitational, a women-only track event scheduled to take place after the Paris Games.
Per a release on Sportico, “The invitational, set to take place this September, aims to become the flagship event for women’s track by offering the largest-ever purse for a women-only competition. Across all races, the winner will take home $60,000, second place will earn $25,000 and third place nets a $10,000 purse,” and, “promises to revolutionize the way track is presented to the masses with a modernized broadcast and in-person fan experience.”
Ohanian has promised to “build a best in class event that elevates the profile of top women athletes and creates a more equitable sporting landscape.”
Thomas connected with Ohanian following his determination to direct message numerous athletes inquiring about challenges within the sport. He told ESPN, “Looking at the existing professional infrastructure [with the Diamond League], I did some work and then I just started DM’ing a bunch of track athletes. I was like, ‘Hey, do you mind getting on the phone so I can learn?’ That’s when I realized how low the prize money was and how low the coverage was and how difficult it was to even watch.”
With much promise, we look forward to the inaugural event, which location and committed athletes are still to be announced, with the goal to provide these details ahead of the coming Olympics. Additionally, though there is only currently plans to have the single Invitational event, Ohanian has reported the potential to expand to more invitationals, if the demand and energy are there.
We will provide more details as more information comes available about the 776 Invitational. In the meantime, what would you like to see at the meet (events or otherwise) that would make it a game-changer for you? Let us know in the comments below!
where will meet take place
Location is among the information yet to be announced – we also look forward to this detail!