Michael Johnson-powered Duæl Track to hold inaugural edition of track & field league with a prize pool of $1 million: Reports

Modified Apr 07, 2024 07:00 GMT

The Duael Track will hold its first event, the Dual 100 in September 2024. The 2024 Paris Games begin soon, and Michael Johnson, 4x Olympic gold medalist, and Barry Kahn, former Cornell distance runner, want to utilize the event's high popularity for their recent made-for-TV competitions.

Johnson and Kahn are offering a monetary reward higher than that of any Olympic event presently. Additionally, as per reports by Sports Business Journal, Kahn stated that Duæl was preparing $1 million for the opening event, to be divided among the contestants and the two champions.

Johnson refused to state precise amounts for future competitions but declared that it would help some female players be on the list of the 10 most paid athletes globally.

Head-to-head matchups in the 100m and mile for the Duæl Track will be held first and the Duæl 100 will kick-start in September in Jamaica, but the precise date and place have not been finalized. The competition will involve 10 men and 10 women, competing head-to-head in twos till a champion emerges.

Michael Johnson’s Duæl Track will get sponsors and a broadcasting ally because the event will not give room for spectators, and Johnson and Kahn are working on separate events to guarantee supply and satisfy track fans’ demand. The events do not have a television partner presently and are looking for sponsorships and precise locations.

40 athletes anticipated in Michael Johnson’s 2025 Duael Track league

The Duael Track League, slated to launch in 2024 with 10 athletes, is set to expand to 40 in 2025. A matching competition for the mile will kick off in 2026 following the end of the Winter Olympics and likewise start with 10 athletes before extending. The event intends for athletes to be compensated handsomely whenever they take part in events.

The athletes will participate by invitation only. The Paris leads will be the top choices to be picked, and US champion Noah Lyles is one of the athletes likely to be invited. Kahn announced that the league could also invite players from other distances and is designed to give fans an acceptable feel for track and field.

Michael Johnson’s Duæl Track events planned for 2025 will be held in the normal track season, ranging from April to September, but they are still strategizing the events currently. Johnson declared they intend to lessen the number of competitions and the events will strongly concentrate on the invited athletes’ backstories.