The track and field community is set to come together at the University of Arizona in Tucson on March 27 and 28, 2026, drawn not only by the promise of competition but also by the groundbreaking concept that underpins the event. The inaugural USATF Winter Long Throws National Championships presents an exceptional early-season platform for the nation’s premier discus, hammer, and javelin athletes. But the concept isn’t flawless yet.

On the positive side, the event not only promises substantial prize money but also the chance to secure important World Athletics ranking points, despite its classification as a D-level meet. This recent initiative represents a concerted effort to enhance domestic competition in these specialized Olympic disciplines. However, its launch is accompanied by a significant trade-off.

In a recent update shared by Paul Hof-Mahoney on X, “A meet like this is a good thing to see, but the unfortunate consequence is that there will be no prize money or travel funding available to the weight throw at the USATF Indoor Championships four weeks earlier. According to a USATF spokesperson, the decision was made because weight throw (as well as the indoor race walk) is not contested at the World Indoor Championships.”

A travel fund of $1,000 for pre-qualified athletes, alongside a prize purse that awards $6,000 to the winner and $1,000 for fifth place, is being allocated to establish the Winter Long Throws Nationals and a distinct half-marathon race walk championship.

Moreover, Paul Hof-Mahoney remarked, “It stinks that in order for this meet to exist we need to detract from the weight, but I think this competition is gonna be pretty fun. A lot of throwers are opening up domestically around this time anyway, and in the discus it could serve as a nice preview for the World Invitational in Ramona two weeks later.”

“Also, the prize money is the same as it would have been for the weight at U.S. Indoors, but now 3 events will be getting that amount of money instead of 1, so it’s not an entirely bad thing.”

While the advantages are evident, the initiative highlights the challenging and frequently contentious decisions that USATF is compelled to navigate within a financially limited landscape. Financial challenges are, without a doubt, prevalent in the realm of track and field. And it’s not just the USATF.

USATF isn’t the only organization in track & field to face financial issues

The recent collapse of the notable startup league Grand Slam Track, founded by Olympic legend Michael Johnson, has laid bare the persistent challenges afflicting the world of track and field.

The league, having promised to provide unprecedented prize money, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on December 11, 2025, burdened by debts surpassing $31 million to various creditors, including over $7 million owed to the star athletes it aimed to appeal to.

The league’s financial situation, with just $143,000 in cash reserves, underscores the uncertain future of even the most determined attempts to create a sustainable economic model on the sport’s fragile foundation. Yet, the collapse of GST led to utter chaos. Athletes like Gabby Thomas, who faced delays in their paychecks, were frank in expressing their displeasure with the event on social media.

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“So dope!! pls pay me…” remarked the reigning women’s 200m Olympic champion in response to one of GST’s TikTok videos. The evident frustration underscores the ongoing struggle of the sport with financial difficulties, while yet another unkept promise contributes to the uncertainty faced by athletes about their future in this sport.