Alexis Ohanian and Sprint Star Noah Lyles are Leading a New Wave of Optimism and Innovation in Track and Field, with the Athlos League Set to Revolutionize the Sport’s Popularity and Reach…

Alexis Ohanian and Sprint Star Noah Lyles are Leading a New Wave of Optimism and Innovation in Track and Field, with the Athlos League Set to Revolutionize the Sport’s Popularity and Reach

 

In a bold move aimed at reshaping the future of track and field, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and Olympic sprint star Noah Lyles are teaming up to launch the Athlos League—an ambitious new professional league designed to inject fresh energy, innovation, and commercial appeal into one of the world’s oldest sports.

Unveiled earlier this year, the Athlos League is being hailed as a potential turning point for track and field, a sport that has struggled to maintain mainstream visibility outside of the Olympic cycle. By combining elite athletic performance with fan-first entertainment and storytelling, Ohanian and Lyles hope to create a year-round platform that captures public imagination and elevates the athletes to new heights of recognition and financial reward.

“Track and field has long deserved a bigger spotlight,” said Ohanian in a recent interview. “It has all the elements of a compelling sport—speed, power, drama—but it’s lacked the infrastructure and innovation to match modern fan expectations. That’s what we’re building with Athlos.”

The league is set to debut in 2025 with a team-based format, regular-season events, and media partnerships aimed at maximizing global exposure. Unlike traditional track meets, Athlos will prioritize fast-paced, fan-friendly programming, with mic’d up athletes, behind-the-scenes content, and real-time data integrations. It’s a model inspired by the success of newer leagues like Formula 1’s Netflix-fueled boom and the team-driven approach of Major League Pickleball—another project Ohanian helped elevate.

At the heart of the movement is Noah Lyles, a three-time world champion and current face of U.S. sprinting. Known for his charisma and outspokenness, Lyles has long advocated for a more athlete-centric model in track and field. With Athlos, he’s not just a participant—he’s a co-architect.

“We’re not just changing the game, we’re creating a new one,” said Lyles. “Athletes deserve platforms where their stories can be told year-round, where fans can connect with us beyond just every four years. We want to make track cool again.”

The response from the track community has been overwhelmingly positive. Top athletes, coaches, and agents are expressing cautious optimism, hopeful that Athlos will provide much-needed stability and visibility in a sport often fragmented by inconsistent schedules and limited marketing.

Athlos also arrives at a time when younger audiences are demanding more inclusive, digitally native, and personality-driven sports content. With Ohanian’s background in tech and media, and Lyles’ star power and authenticity, the league seems well positioned to meet this cultural moment.

“There’s a renaissance happening in sports,” said Ohanian. “Athlos isn’t just about track—it’s about reimagining what a 21st-century sports league can look like.”

As the countdown to its 2025 launch begins, all eyes are on Athlos to see if it can indeed revolutionize track and field—not just for the athletes who run the races, but for the fans ready to cheer them on in a whole new ways.