Athlos: Reviving Women’s Track and Field

Track and field athletes capture the spotlight during the Olympics, but then they often fade from public view. Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, aims to change that with Athlos, a women-focused track and field event that highlights the human body and the influence of social media.

“Track and field is incredibly popular at the Olympics, yet it doesn’t get much attention outside that time frame,” Ohanian explained. “Our goal is to showcase these athletes on a major stage during prime time.”

The inaugural Athlos event took place in September 2024 at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island. It showcased 35 elite female athletes, including Mariledi Paulino and Gabby Thomas, drawing in 3 million viewers across various platforms.

This big event is set to return to Icahn on Friday and will be streamed on X, YouTube, and Ion. Ohanian anticipates it will outshine last year’s event.

His vision is to elevate a new wave of athletes to stardom, comparable to the fame of his wife, Serena Williams. Ohanian believes that the stunning performances in track events have significant potential to go viral on social media.

“The goal in sports is to get noticed,” he said. “Athletics can convey a complete story in just 45 seconds.”

Ohanian, now 42, founded the venture capital firm Seven Seven Six in 2020. The firm’s name nods to the year of the ancient Olympics in 776 BC. As a “proud father of girls,” to Alexis Olympia, aged 8, and Adira River, aged 2, he aims to support initiatives that inspire change.

After leaving Reddit, the $38 billion social media giant he helped establish, Ohanian became the founding owner of Angel City FC, a team in the National Women’s Soccer League. He also recently invested in Chelsea Women’s FC.

But he emphasizes that his principles aren’t solely about charity. “It really comes down to the returns,” he remarked. “I feel satisfied when my values align.”

Women’s sports are gaining traction. Growing up in Brooklyn, Ohanian was primarily exposed to men’s soccer. “That was my game; my dad would change the channel if women’s sports came on,” he recalled.

He’s particularly interested in investing in women’s athletics, backed by data indicating that female athletes can attract as many, if not more, fans than their male counterparts.

“Money doesn’t lie… Women’s tennis isn’t seen as a charitable endeavor,” he stated. “More Americans tune into the U.S. Open women’s final than the men’s. Women’s tennis is just as important and valuable.”

Ohanian sees a potential surge in track and field akin to the rise in women’s tennis, particularly since the evidence is there.

Prominent stars like Arika Schmidt and Shakari Richardson boast 5.5 million and 4 million followers, respectively, whereas Noah Lyles, the world’s fastest man, has only 1.6 million followers.

“As someone deeply involved in social media, TV ratings didn’t bother me; they’re just lagging indicators. I focused on the active market of the internet, where Instagram reigns supreme,” he explained.

He envisions Athlos evolving into a year-round “F1-style” team-based league for track and field, keeping athletes in the public eye.

This isn’t Ohanian’s only endeavor. He has invested more than nine figures into Seven Seven Six and oversees over $1.1 billion in assets. The firm incubates at least one new company annually and has supported various ventures like Mr. Beast’s Feastables and health startup RO, where Serena Williams is an ambassador.

Earlier this year, he was part of a bid for TikTok, although his group didn’t win. He’s still open to being involved. “I want to play a role in whatever the next iteration of TikTok is,” he expressed.

Ohanian reflects on the future of social media, suggesting that real conversations are shifting towards group chats. “I believe the next wave of social media is happening in group chats… People are moving those discussions there,” he stated.

He anticipates that the next version of social platforms will need to prioritize trust and authenticity in ways current platforms are lacking.

“It’ll need to embody some humanity, possibly a fun user experience that draws people in. Think either WhatsApp groups or Signal—something fresh,” he added.

Whether his predictions about group chats hold true remains uncertain, but he takes delight in proving skeptics wrong. “I keep every tweet from those who called me an idiot. Whenever we hit a new milestone, I tag them to say, ‘Thanks for your support. I’ll enjoy my victory!’”