The Athlos NYC 2024 women’s running event, which featured 100m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m, showed that track can be a great entertainment event with a great theme and cause. It was such an exciting and special evening.
Watching the event, with short interviews between races and pre-produced videos, one couldn’t help but appreciate the inspiring stories of female athletes.
If only a few athletes compete in each event, it will be easier for event organizers, commentators and even fans in the stadium to find as much information as possible about each one and find inspiration and a good reason to appreciate them. It was almost like the Ineos 1:59 event, where Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge was the focus of the world’s attention as he prepared to run the marathon in under two hours.
It looked more like entertainment than a typical track and field event, with much fanfare as the athletes entered the stadium to compete in front of a sold-out crowd at New York’s Icahn Stadium. Under the flashing lights and fireworks, pink and purple seemed to be the theme colors as they appeared throughout the stadium and on the TV screens.
The prize money was the highest ever for the track, with the winner taking home $60,000 and the sixth-place finisher, last in this case, taking home $2,500.
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won the first of six events and was presented with the crown before the other races even started. “I dedicate this race to my mom,” Camacho said before doing a short dance on stage.
Marie-Josie Tallou-Smith won the 100m race.
“I tell the young ladies to keep believing in themselves and keep working hard,” she said as she was presented with her crown. It was an inspiring moment. The meet also had several girls races between the main events.
Marilidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, a two-time world and Olympic champion, won the women’s 400m race in 49.59.
Ethiopian Tsige Duguma won the women’s 800 m race. Zones ranged from three to eight zones, initially leaving out the first two zones. Kenya’s Mary Moraa moved to the front after the first 200m but Duguma somehow managed to push the inside lane and was in the lead at the bell. Duguma took the inside lane and controlled the race to win in 1:57.43.
Neither of the women’s 1500m races seemed interested in following the fast pace that set the fast pace and kept some distance behind. However, with around 600m to go, there was a surge left and being an instinctive tactical racer, Faith Kipyegon strategically positioned herself on the inside lane and was able to pull away in the final 150m to win the race in 4:04.79.
The final event of the evening, the women’s 200m, was thrilling for the home crowd as their Olympic champion Gabby Thomas took to the track. But Olympic silver medalist Brittany Brown wanted the win more and got it in 22.18, ahead of Thomas in 22.21.
