GRAND SLAM TRACK™ Announces Signings of Nicky Hiltz, Grant Fisher and Ronald Kwemoi
The roster of racers continues to grow with elite track talent from around the world
New York, NY (October 15, 2024) – Grand Slam Track™, the new global home of professional running competition launched earlier this year by four-time US Olympic champion Michael Johnson, today officially announced the signing of a trio of Olympic distance runners. runners: Nicky Hiltz, Grant Fisher and Ronald Quemoy. All three competed at the Paris Olympics this past summer, where Quemoy won silver in the men’s 5,000m and Fisher two bronze medals in the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m. All three racers will compete in all four Grand Slam Track™ Slams in 2025, meaning fans are guaranteed to see these superstars compete against their rivals four times next year.
The Armory, New York, New York, USA, photo by Kevin Morris
“We continue to add top talent to our roster of Grand Slam Track™ racers,” said league founder and commissioner Michael Johnson. “With Nikki, Grant and Ronald, we’re guaranteed elite performance and great personalities, and we’re excited to officially welcome them all to the Grand Slam Track™ family. Nicky is the cornerstone of the 1500m circuit and Grant and Ronald know each other very well from their incredibly close finish in the 5000m in Paris. I’m sure track fans around the world will be thrilled to know they can see these competitors on the track four times a year at the Grand Slam Track™.”
Hiltz, from Santa Cruz, Calif., ran collegiately for the Oregon Ducks and Arkansas Razorbacks and is a 6-time NCAA Division I All-American. With Oregon, Hiltz won a National Championship and a Pac-12 Championship, both in 2015. They hold the American record in the mile and won both the 2023 and 2024 US 1500m championships. This year, Hiltz won a silver medal at the 2024 World Indoor Championships and competed in the 1500m at the Paris Olympics, qualifying for the final where they finished 7th.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the Grand Slam Track™,” said Hiltz. “Being able to participate in regularly scheduled elite matches like these Slams is a big step forward for us as athletes and I’m sure the fans will love the concept. MJ explained the vision to me and it was obvious that it was a no-brainer to get involved. I can’t wait to get started.”
Fisher was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, but grew up in Grand Blanc, Michigan, and represents the United States. The Stanford University product brought home two bronze medals in his second Olympics this summer, topping the podium in both the 5,000m and 10,000m. Fisher earned eleven-time NCAA Division I All-American honors and won two individual Pac-12 Cross Country championships, plus the Pac-12 1,500m title and the 2017 Outdoor 5,000m National Championship.
“I’m excited to be a part of the Grand Slam Track™, which I believe is the future of our sport,” said Fisher. “Looking ahead to 2025, the opportunity to compete against the world’s fastest men in four top-level Slams represents a major shift for track and field. Building on the momentum of the Olympics, this gives us racers a great opportunity to compete regularly with big prizes and bragging rights. I can’t wait to hit the track next year and see who really is the best.”
Kwemoi, from Mount Elgon in Kenya’s Bungoma region, won a silver medal in the 5,000m in Paris. He is the first Kenyan athlete to be signed to the Grand Slam Track™. Earlier in his career, Kwemoi was a specialist in the 1500 meters and still holds the under-20 world record in that event. He has now moved on to longer distances and will look to dominate his competition on the Grand Slam Track™.
“I am very excited to be the first athlete to represent my country Kenya at the Grand Slam Track,” said Kwemoi. “I want to keep testing myself against the best runners in the world and the Grand Slam Track™ is the perfect stage for that. This league is a great project to be a part of and it will be very exciting when the Slams start next year.”
Each year, 48 athletes will be designated by the league as Grand Slam Track™ competitors. Hiltz, Fisher and Quemoy join the lineup of talent announced so far that includes Sidney McLaughlin-LeVro, Melissa Jefferson, Masai Russell, Quincy Hall, Fred Curley, Kenny Bednarek, Cole Hawker, Jared Nuguz, Josh Kerr, Matthew Hudson, S. Cyrena Samba-Mayela, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Alison Dos Santos, Muzala Samukonga and Clement Ducos. The 48 racers are selected by the Grand Slam Track™ Racing Committee based on a combination of factors to include the fastest and best racers in each race group, focusing on fierce competition and exciting competitive racing. Grand Slam Track™ contestants commit to competing in all four Slams each year. They will receive an annual base compensation for each helmet race and may receive full prize money. Grand Slam Track™ participants will receive annual contracts, access to the Grand Slam Track™ content and data services team, inclusion in the league collective, group licensing and new revenue opportunities, and access to world-class athlete support services throughout the season. Grand Slam Track™ contestants are paid under contract to compete and promote the league, as well as receive additional marketing and branding support.
The remaining 48 racers will be known as Grand Slam Track™ Challengers and will be paid a fee to compete in individual Slams. Grand Slam Track™ Challengers are selected by the Grand Slam Track™ Racing Committee based on a combination of factors, including recent performances and the most exciting athletes and matches.
Runners and Challengers will compete in one of the following categories and will all compete in two events during each Slam: Short Sprint (100m/200m), Short Steeplechase (100 or 110h/100m), Long Sprint (200m/400m). ), long hurdles (400H/400m), short distance (800m/1500m) or long distance (3000m/5000m). The final placement score for all competitors will be determined by their joint finishing order between the two races. In the event of a tie in both events, the winner will be the athlete with the fastest time in both events. The winner of each Slam group will take home $100,000 in prize money and the 8th place finisher will earn $10,000. The Grand Slam Track™ will have a total of $12.6 million in prize money awarded each year at the Slams, in addition to base compensation and appearance fees paid to racers.
The focus of Grand Slam Track™ is head-to-head competition, not winning times. There will be no bunnies or spotlights. Each Slam is as important as the others, will have its own prize purse and will be played independently unless points and previous finishes carry over to subsequent Slams. All racers will compete twice during the three-day event, and all Slam events will follow World Athletics regulations, and the marks achieved can be for ratings and standards.
Racers will compete in their sponsored gear without the traditional bib numbers or bibs. Racers and Challengers are encouraged to work with their sponsors to create customized kits in their desired style. Grand Slam Track™ has no affiliation or sponsorship agreement with any footwear company; All shoe companies are considered important stakeholders and partners in the advancement of our racers.
Grand Slam Track™ has secured more than $30 million in financial commitments from investors and strategic partners to launch the league. Winners Alliance, global, athlete-centric
The trading solution and Johnson’s operating partner was the lead investor in the first round of fundraising for the new venture. Investing in the league will contribute to Johnson’s ultimate goal. develop better engagement with fans by promoting athletics’ biggest stars and reaching new audiences through unique, innovative storytelling.
Ticket sales information will be released in due course. For more information, please follow @GrandSlamTrack on all social media platforms and visit grandslamtrack.com.
About Michael Johnson
Born in Dallas, Texas, Michael Johnson is a Hall of Fame track and field star who is universally recognized as one of the greatest sprinters of all time. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championships during his career, and held world and Olympic records in both the 200m and 400m. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Johnson became the first and only male athlete to win a 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 a highly sought-after performance mindset speaker and award-winning television commentator. Johnson has been a pundit for the BBC’s coverage of all Olympic Games since Athens 2004 and continues to be a key voice and advocate for the sport. Johnson was inducted into the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004.
