Nigeria’s world record holder Tobi Amusan is set to headline a star studded field at the 2026 Athlos Series after being confirmed for the prestigious women only track and field competition in London and New York.
The Nigerian sprint hurdler will compete in the 100m hurdles when the innovative series makes its first appearance in London before returning to New York for its third consecutive edition. Athlos organisers confirmed Amusan’s participation on Wednesday, describing the Nigerian as one of the major stars expected to compete this season.
The London event is scheduled for September 18 at StoneX Stadium, the home ground of rugby club Saracens in Barnet, while the New York meeting will take place at Icahn Stadium on October 2.
Amusan’s inclusion adds considerable star power to an event that has quickly established itself as one of the most ambitious competitions in women’s athletics.
Athlos was created by Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co founder and husband of tennis legend Serena Williams. The competition was designed specifically to provide elite female athletes with greater financial rewards, visibility and a stronger stake in the future of professional track and field.
The 2026 edition carries a total prize purse of $2.1 million, equivalent to approximately £1.5 million. In addition to prize money, participating athletes are being offered equity in the league, giving them a potential financial interest in the long term success of the competition.
The concept represents a major departure from the traditional structure of athletics competitions, where athletes generally compete for prize money without ownership stakes in the events they help build.
Ohanian has said the ambition is to develop Athlos into the “Formula 1 of track and field”, creating a commercially attractive platform capable of placing female athletes at the centre of the sport.
Amusan will compete in an event that has become synonymous with her career.
The 100m hurdles has established the Nigerian as one of the fastest and most accomplished hurdlers in athletics history. She made global headlines in 2022 when she produced a remarkable world record of 12.12 seconds in the semi finals of the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
She subsequently won the world title that year, becoming the first Nigerian athlete to claim an individual world championship gold medal in an outdoor track event.
Her success has made her one of Nigeria’s most recognisable athletes and a major figure in global women’s athletics.
The 29 year old has also remained a consistent presence at the highest level of international competition, regularly competing in Diamond League meetings and major championships.
Her participation in Athlos will place her alongside several other internationally recognised stars.
American sprinters Sha’Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas, long jumper Tara Davis Woodhall, hurdler Masai Russell and Dominican Republic star Marileidy Paulino have also been confirmed for the competition.
Seven disciplines will be contested in both London and New York. They include the 100m hurdles, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, mile and long jump.
The competition will use a points system, with athletes accumulating points based on their performances. The combined results will determine the overall winner of the event.
The financial incentives are also substantial.
Athletes can earn as much as $65,000 for winning an individual event, while overall champions will receive an additional $25,000. An athlete who wins an event in both London and New York could therefore earn up to $155,000 from those victories alone.
For Amusan, the competition offers another opportunity to test herself against some of the world’s leading athletes while competing for significant financial rewards.
Her appearance is also expected to generate considerable interest among Nigerian athletics supporters, who have followed her career closely since she emerged as one of Africa’s leading sprint hurdlers.
The Athlos Series first took place at Icahn Stadium in New York on September 26, 2024. The 2026 season marks an important expansion for the competition, with London added to the calendar and the event growing into a two day international series.
The organisers’ decision to expand into Europe demonstrates the growing ambitions of the competition and its desire to reach a wider global audience.
For Amusan, the London meeting could provide an especially significant occasion because it will allow her to compete in front of a major international audience in a city with a strong athletics tradition.
Her participation also reinforces the growing global profile of Nigerian athletics.
Amusan has spent recent years competing at the highest level despite facing the pressures that come with being one of Nigeria’s biggest sporting stars. Her world record and championship achievements have established her as an athlete capable of competing for major honours whenever she reaches peak form.
The Athlos Series will therefore offer another stage for her to showcase that ability.
With a powerful field already assembled, the 100m hurdles is expected to be one of the most closely watched events of the competition.
Amusan’s speed, technique and experience will make her one of the athletes to watch when the starting gun goes off.
Beyond the competition itself, her participation highlights a broader development in women’s athletics, where athletes are increasingly seeking greater control, visibility and financial rewards from their performances.
Athlos is attempting to respond to that demand by combining elite competition with significant prize money and potential ownership.
For Amusan and her fellow competitors, the challenge will now be to convert that opportunity into success on the track.
When the Athlos Series arrives in London on September 18, Nigerian fans will have one particular reason to watch closely.
Tobi Amusan will be there, ready to take on the world’s best hurdlers and add another major chapter to an already remarkable career.
