Grand Slam Track has confirmed Philadelphia as one of the four cities that will host one of the weekend Slams in the professional track league’s inaugural season in 2025. The Slam will be held at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field on May 30th, 31st and June 1st.

Here’s what you need to know:

– Franklin Field hosts the Penn Relays annually, which draws approximately 100,000+ fans over the final three days of the four-day meet. Many of those fans for the Saturday slate of racing are from Jamaica as the meet features some of the best high school boys and girls from the island. The 2025 Penn Relays will be held April 24th-26th.

– This year, Penn also hosted the Penn Relays Summer Showcase Series as an opportunity for athletes to chase qualifying standards for national championships and the Paris Olympics.

– Franklin Field has a seating capacity of 52,000.

– Grand Slam Track’s events will take place over three days with athletes racing twice. Athletes will receive points for their finishing position in each race. The athlete with the highest points total after both events will win the Slam and the $100,000 grand prize.

– In June, Grand Slam Track announced Los Angeles as one of the four host cities. Kingston was announced Monday as the host city for the league’s first Slam at the National Stadium at Independence Park on April 4th, 5th and 6th.

What They Had To Say:

Commissioner Michael Johnson: “Philly has a reputation for bringing intensity to every event, and that’s exactly what we’re looking for with Grand Slam Track. There’s a unique energy in this city, and we’re excited to see how the athletes respond to that. Philadelphia’s sports culture is something else, and it’s going to elevate the competition.”

Director of Track & Field and Cross Country at the University of Pennsylvania Steve Dolan, James Tuppeny, and Betty Costanza, and Director of Penn Relays Frank Dolson: “We can’t wait to see the best track athletes in the world add to the rich history of outstanding competition in Franklin Field when Grand Slam Track comes to Philadelphia. We look forward to working with Michael Johnson and his team to create a first-class environment for the athletes and an exceptional experience for the fans.”

What Is The Grand Slam Track Schedule?

• Kingston, Jamaica | April 4th-6th
• Miami, USA | May 2nd-4th
• Philadelphia, USA | May 30th-June 1st
• Los Angeles, USA | TBA

What Philadelphia Means For The League

Philadelphia is a major sports city. I’ve had the pleasure of attending nearly 10 editions of the Penn Relays and it’s always one of the most knowledgeable and animated crowds of fans for a domestic meet. Jamaican fans flock to Franklin Field to wave their yellow, black and green flags proudly. Grand Slam Track is hoping they can squeeze in a second trip to start their summer. Whether a meet featuring only professionals can draw the same crowds as Penn Relays, which attracts high school, college, professional and Masters runners, is a big bet.

Another thing to quickly note: Grand Slam Track will have three of its four sites in the Eastern Time zone, which should make for a more consistent television broadcast schedule where fans can be dependent on knowing when and how to watch the meet. Anyone who has followed the Diamond League knows how tricky it can be to figure out the European time zones and it’s not ideal for an American audience. If Grand Slam Track’s major target market is the U.S., being able to try and have a dependable schedule will be an improvement

___________________

Keep up with all things track and field by following us across Instagram, X, and YouTube. Catch the latest episodes of the CITIUS MAG Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. For more, subscribe to The Lap Count and CITIUS MAG Newsletter for the top running news delivered straight to your inbox.