Marco Arop, who ran to an Olympic silver medal in August, is the first Canadian to join Grand Slam Track before the professional league's inaugural season in 2025.
The reigning 800-metre world champion's contract signing was announced Tuesday. "Running has always been about finding that next gear. … It's about constant growth and seeing where my training can take me," Arop told Grand Slam Track. "I'm incredibly excited to get this thing going." The league is the brainchild of retired U.S.
sprinter Michael Johnson and expected to launch next April with plans for one event in Los Angeles, home of the 2028 Olympics, one in another American city and two more overseas.
The plan is for nearly 100 of the sport's top performers to gather four times a year to compete for $12.6 million US in prize money over the first season.