We’re entering year two of ATHLOS NYC and one big question remains unanswered: what is it, exactly?

Despite ATHLOS having all the makings of a must-watch meet, due to its current placement at the tail end of the competitive calendar, it’s ultimately still an exhibition event. As it picks up steam, aiming to expand beyond its current single-event-per-year schedule, what exactly will it become? A Grand Slam Track replacement, without the financial woes? An opportunity for the sport’s stars to boost their profiles to the track-curious via association with Megan Thee Stallion and Ciara? Something else entirely?

As we look to understand exactly what role ATHLOS aims to play, there’s also the question of whether the athletes themselves will take the meet seriously. There’s lots of money on the line, so that’s bound to be a motivator. But all the money in the world can only do so much if your legs are shot. You have to assume the participating athletes timed their peaks precisely for the World Championships. Enough time has passed since Worlds for R&R before a mini-build for ATHLOS, but after the rigors of a long season, who knows if that’s enough?

We’ll get our first taste of what’s left in the reserves tomorrow in Times Square when the long jump competition kicks off. Tara Davis-Woodhall will square off against Jasmine Moore, Quanesha Burkes, Monae’ Nichols, Claire Bryant, and Jazmin Sawyers. A street-level jump-off in one of the world’s busiest pedestrian plazas is sure to attract some eyeballs. Even if the product on display is a standard deviation away from what we got in Tokyo, it’s still going to be visually impressive. David-Woodhall in particular is an entertainer; and her antics and the general spectacle should bring out the best (or best available) in her peers.

The 100m hurdles, 100m, and 200m fields are made up of big names like Masai Russell, Marie-Josèe Ta Lou-Smith, Brittany Brown, and Amy Hunt. Regardless of the times posted or the closeness of each of these races, based on atmosphere and sheer star power the shorter distance events are likely to approach their pre-meet hype: these women will still run fast and excite the crowd. It’ll get a bit more interesting as the longer races get underway.

The 400m, 800m, and mile at ATHLOS will each feature two of three medalists from Tokyo—Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser, Georgia Hunter Bell and Keely Hodgkinson, and Faith Kipyegon and Jess Hull, respectively—and the rest of each six-athlete fields are all killer, no filler. But if we have poor parity on display, with some athletes still managing to fire on most if not all cylinders, and others limping through the proverbial and literal finish lines, that’ll take a bit of air out of the balloon. Despite being the biggest name, Kipyegon may be the least interesting headliner, as the rivalries between Paulino and Naser and Bell and Hodgkinson can still be compelling at any time of year.

Of course, even if the actual level of competition on display in New York City is hit or miss, ATHLOS is also aiming to perform an important duty for track and field: making it cooler. The Diamond League delivers a traditionalist, Eurocentric view of track and field that’s very elite, but not necessarily “cool.” Finding a balance between cache and credibility is tough, but essential. It’ll be fun to see whether Ciara’s performance leans heavily on her debut album, Goodies, and whether Ludacris or Missy Elliott will crash the party for a verse, but hopefully the actual broadcast leans more on track and field analysts and less on Peloton instructors than last year.

If you buy into the notion that track needs to tap into new audiences for the sake of its long term health, it’s vital that ventures like ATHLOS are both eye-catching and taken seriously. So as we tune into the show tomorrow and Friday, we’ll do so with an eye to what ATHLOS currently is, and has the potential to become.

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