"Call it Field and Track" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian reacts as Athlos NYC 2025 hosts long jump in fully packed Times Square

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, gushed about Athlos’ long jump event being the showstopper at a fully packed Times Square for the first time. As the host of the event, Ohanian has transformed the women’s track and field landscape with his latest initiatives through his venture capital firm, Seven Seven Six.

Serena Williams' husband has been one of the leading investors in the US. He has actively supported women’s sports, becoming the largest shareholder of NWSL’s Angel City FC in 2020 and acquiring a 10% stake in Chelsea FC Women in May this year, among other notable investments. The tech mogul shifted his attention to the gap in women's track and field and launched Athlos, a female-only event in 2024.

It handed out prize money six times that of the Diamond League, and this year, a bonus of $250,000 will be awarded to anyone who breaks a world record. Athlos also broke the internet by hosting the long jump event in the heart of bustling Times Square, a first-of-its-kind spectacle.

Tara Davis-Woodhall headlined the unique event, followed by Jasmine Moore, Quanesha Burks, Claire Brunt, and Monae Nichols in front of a packed crowd. Sharing pictures of the same, Athlos' official X handle wrote:

"This is insane"

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, shared the post and gushed about the number of fans gathered to watch the athletes under the New York lights.

"I think we have to call it Field & Track now. Thank you, fans, for packing Times Square!!"

Davis-Woodhall led the long jump squad with her 6.81m leap and will compete in the finals at the Icahn Stadium.

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian revealed the real reason behind launching Athlos

Serena Williams' husband at the 2025 Athlos NYC - Source: Getty

The Reddit co-founder, who has supported several early-stage start-ups and women’s sports, noted that track and field, stacked with incredible athletes, doesn’t remain relevant year-round except during the Olympics and World Championships. In a recent conversation, the 41-year-old shared that he plans to elevate track and field to Formula 1 prominence by attracting more attention to the sport.

"These athletes are incredible. They are the top-viewed sport during the Olympics, and then for some reason, they disappeared, and just like I saw women's soccer five years ago starting Angel City, I saw an opportunity to make these women the superstars they are on the biggest stage possible year-round. So, this is the least they deserve, and we're building a Formula 1 for track and field. We want to make this sport a top-flight sport year-round," he said. (via First Take)

Ohanian partnered with Cash App to introduce instant payouts to athletes in the 2025 edition of Athlos.

Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder