Racers of The Year WEB Light.mp4

Racers of The Year MOBILE Light.mp4

 — Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG), a human connections company and home to iconic brands like ESSENCE, AFROPUNK, and Refinery29, and Grand Slam Track™, the global home of professional track competition, today announced a groundbreaking partnership aimed at revolutionizing the way fans experience and engage with the world of track. Together, the two companies are launching an innovative model that transforms passive viewership into dynamic community-driven interaction—turning fans into active participants in the culture, competition, and storytelling of the sport.

This new multi-year collaboration will fuse SMTG’s deep legacy in culturally connected media with Grand Slam Track™’s pioneering approach to global track competition. SMTG will secure strategic commercial partnerships for Grand Slam Track™’s 2026 season and beyond, with 10% of all related sponsorship sales secured by SMTG paid directly to Grand Slam Track™ Racers. Additionally, Grand Slam Track™, and its signed Racers and Challengers, will be featured and celebrated across SMTG’s entire network of media entities, publications, and brands, with in-person activations at major events, and a spotlight shone on the biggest names in track. 

SMTG will collaborate with Grand Slam Track™ to bring exciting new experiences to tens of thousands of track fans in attendance, and millions watching around the globe. With SMTG’s proprietary technology and Grand Slam Track’s revolutionary compensation structure, this collaboration delivers a new blueprint for equity in track -- scaling storytelling, monetization, and visibility for athletes the same way SMTG has done across media and consumer brands.

“Our partnership with Grand Slam Track™ marks a bold expansion for Sundial Media & Technology Group into the world of sport, where over 100 years of cultural fluency and community wisdom can now fuel a new kind of playbook, ” said 

Kirk McDonald, CEO of Sundial Media & Technology Group

. “True transformation comes when competition meets community. Our new model will turn fans into co-creators, athletes into owners, and track into a stage for immersive cultural experience, all while powering athleticism through equity, access, and storytelling.”

In its inaugural season, Grand Slam Track™ has already rearchitected the competition format of track racing for the modern sports audience—one that values personality alongside performance, and social connection alongside spectacle. Through this new collaboration, fans will gain unparalleled access to athletes' journeys, behind-the-scenes moments, and real-time content that turns every race into a cultural moment. The partnership will center on building a vibrant digital and real-world social ecosystem that elevates Grand Slam Track™ competitors, creates two-way storytelling with fans, and amplifies the sport’s cultural resonance.

“As a sport, track has some of the most compelling athletes in the world—but for too long, fans have been kept at arm’s length,” said 

Michael Johnson, Founder and Commissioner of Grand Slam Track™

. “Grand Slam Track™ set out to change that, and has seen unbelievable support from all around the globe since we launched. Our pilot season has been a huge success, and we’re delighted with the tremendous response we’ve received. Now, looking ahead to our 2026 season with SMTG in our corner, we’re closing that distance between fans and our Racers even further, and revolutionizing this sport through this incredible partnership. We’re not just building a league—we’re building a movement.”

The joint venture will see Grand Slam Track™ solidify its foundations that have been built during its inaugural season, rolling out their 2026 calendar of events in key U.S. cities, plus international locations, and broadcasting and streaming across multiple digital platforms in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. 

Additionally, Richelieu Dennis, Founder and Chair of The Sundial Group of Companies and Founder and Managing Partner of New Voices Fund, has invested into Grand Slam Track™. Dennis was key in forging the strategic relationship between Grand Slam Track™ and Sundial Media & Technology Group.

Sundial Media & Technology Group (SMTG) is a human connections company — the signal powered by culture, scaled by technology, and built for community. SMTG connects, elevates, and empowers the most influential consumer segment in the market: HER, the Chief Influence Officer. With over 100 years of community knowledge and insights, SMTG is redefining the media model into a next-generation platform. Powered by proprietary intelligence and AI technology, it activates an ecosystem that scales HER influence and economic power. Its portfolio includes some of the most iconic, purpose-driven brands and experiences shaping culture today—ESSENCE (Girls United, ESSENCE Studios, ESSENCE Festival of Culture™), Refinery29, AFROPUNK, Beautycon™ (including NaturallyCurly), the Global Black Economic Forum, the Academy for Advancing Excellence, and the New Voices Fund. Through storytelling, products, and platforms, SMTG delivers the tools and technology to shape the future of media, commerce, and community—on HER terms.

Grand Slam Track™ is the global home of elite track competition founded by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson. The league is redefining the landscape of track with a focus on head-to-head competition between the fastest humans on the planet: fostering rivalries, celebrating racing, and putting fans first. The league features a roster of 48 Racers signed to compete in four annual Slams and includes superstars like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Grant Fisher, Josh Kerr, Marileidy Paulino, and many more. These Racers compete against 48 Challengers, who vary per Slam; each Slam features the largest and deepest prize purse in the history of the sport. The inaugural Grand Slam Track™ season in 2025 saw Slams take place in Kingston, Jamaica; Miami; Philadelphia. For more information, visit grandslamtrack.com.

Christanna Ciabattoni (Sundial Media & Technology Group)

Grand Slam Track™ and Sundial Media & Technology Group today announced a groundbreaking partnership aimed at revolutionizing the way fans experience and engage with the world of track.

Grand Slam Track™ and Sundial Media & Technology Group Forge Strategic Partnership to Elevate the Sport, Amplify Athlete Voices, and Bring Track Closer to Fans

Michael Johnson Secures $30 Million For A New Track And Field League

United States

Melissa

3x Slam Champion ● 66 Total Points ● 2x PB (10.73–100m, 21.99–200m)

Kenny

3x Slam Champion ● 72 Total Points ● 1x PB (9.86–100m)

RACERS OF THE YEAR

All times in the schedule are in Local Jamaica Time (EST / GMT -5:00).

Kingston

National Stadium

All times in the schedule are in Local Miami Time (EDT / GMT -4:00). Times and Competitors are subject to change

Miami

Ansin Sports Complex

All times in the schedule are in Local Philadelphia Time (EDT / GMT -4:00). Times and Competitors are subject to change.

Philadelphia

Franklin Field

Shamier

Jamaica

Rushell

Jasmine

United Kingdom

Lina

Dalilah

Italy

Ayomide

Anna

Andrenette

400mH

W Long Hurdles

Brazil

Alison

France

Clément

Caleb

Trevor

Chris

Assinie

Costa Rica

Gerald

M Long Hurdles

Cole

Josh

Yared

Canada

Marco

Hobbs

Elliot

Netherlands

Samuel

800m

M Short Distance

Zharnel

Andre

Christian

Bryan

Nigeria

Udodi

Aaron

200m

M Short Sprints

Gabby

Brittany

Daryll

Tamari

Liberia

Thelma

Dina

Jadyn

W Short Sprints

Japan

Nozomi

Ethiopia

Tsige

Kenya

Agnes

Elise

Ejgayehu

Weini

Medina

Josette

3000m

W Long Distance

Nickisha

Alexis

Dominican Republic

Marileidy

Bahrain

Salwa

Isabella

Laviai

Côte d’Ivoire

Jessika

Ireland

Sharlene

400m

W Long Sprints

Matthew

Zambia

Muzala

Bahamas

Steven

Trinidad & Tobago

Jereem

Jevaughn

Alexander

Khaleb

Matthew 

M Long Sprints

Australia

Jess

Nikki

Diribe

Mary

Georgia

Abbey

Addy

1500m

W Short Distance

Freddie

Sasha

Daniel

Trey

Poland

Jakub

Lorenzo

Cordell

Jamal

110mH

M Short Hurdles

Sydney

Ackera

Danielle

Switzerland

Ditaji

Christina 

Tonea 

Megan

100mH

W Short Hurdles

2025 LA Slam Ticket Refund Information

Grand Slam Track: Philadelphia Recap — Third Time's The Charm

Eight Big Takeaways From Grand Slam Track: Philadelphia

Gabby Thomas shares adorable handwritten 'GOAT' note from fan

Fred

Guatemala

M Long Distance

Luis

Devon

Roshawn

Ronald

Grant

Oblique

Masai

Hagos

Cyréna 

Puerto Rico

Kingston Slam Day 2: Every Finish Line Moment from a Huge Night on Track!

Kingston Slam Day 3: A Day Where Every Race Crowned a Slam Champion!

Miami Slam Day 1: Epic Finishes, Upsets and the $100,000 hunt Begins!

Miami Slam Day 2: Crowns Taken, Scores Settled, Lines Drawn 🌴

Philly Slam Day 1: Plot twists, Upsets and Showdowns

Miami Slam Day 3: 8 Races, 8 Winners, $800,000 Delivered!

Philly Slam Day 2: Max Volume, Max Speed, Massive Results!

Top 10 Moments from the 2025 Grand Slam Track Season | Records, Redemption & Historic Wins

The Best Finishes of 2025! | Grand Slam Track Season Highlights

RACERS OF THE YEAR

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden

Kenny Bednarek

Catch up on the 2025 Slam Season

announcements

2025 Slams

Kingston

Miami

Philadelphia

meet the racers

gear up

news

The uncontested rules of rivalry