Keely Hodgkinson marked the London debut of the Athlos athletics meet with a commanding victory, clinching the 800m title at StoneX Stadium. The 24-year-old finished with a time of one minute 56.40 seconds before a sellout crowd, securing her first win since the London Diamond League back in July.
For the occasion, the Olympic champion debuted a bespoke, all-black aerodynamic speed suit. The garment, which featured an open back and a hood designed with a ponytail opening, utilized colour-changing 3D-printed nodes to minimize drag. Reflecting on the outfit, Hodgkinson described the project as a year-long collaboration that blended fashion, science, and speed. She noted that the all-female environment provided an ideal platform to showcase the design as a potential glimpse into the future of the sport.
Created by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, the husband of Serena Williams, the Athlos event was held outside of New York for the first time. The meet offered a distinct flair, replacing traditional medals with silver Tiffany & Co crowns and providing a total prize pool of $1.05 million. Winners in each of the seven featured disciplines were awarded $65,000.
The victory provides a positive conclusion to a complex season for Hodgkinson, which included record-breaking indoor performances but was hampered by a July fall and a recurring hamstring issue. After finishing behind Swiss athlete Audrey Werro in recent major meets, Hodgkinson surged ahead on the back straight to ensure a triumphant finish in London, while Valentina Rosamilia followed more than two seconds later.
The evening featured a star-studded atmosphere with track-side music and a red-carpet arrival for participants. Notable performances included American sprinters Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson. Richardson claimed the 100m in 10.80 seconds, while Thomas won the 200m event in 22.13 seconds. Additional winners included Marileidy Paulino in the 400m at 48.73 seconds, alongside Alaysha Johnson in the 100m hurdles and Alyssa Jones in the long jump.
A closely contested mile race saw Poland’s Klaudia Kazimierska edge out training partner Georgia Hunter Bell in four minutes 19.43 seconds, repeating her recent success over the Briton at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Ohanian observed the action alongside Williams and their family, maintaining his vision for the event’s potential expansion.
While plans for a two-day schedule in 2026 were scaled back after consulting with athletes, Ohanian intends to integrate Athlos into the global athletics calendar starting next year. This development comes as the sport adjusts to a crowded schedule, which now includes the Diamond League, the Olympics, and the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, the latter of which recently offered a $10 million prize fund and contributed to the late withdrawal of stars like world record holder Masai Russell from the London meet. The report also notes that it was a real honour for them to choose me to put this out first. The report also notes that we weren’t sure when we were going to wear it. The report also notes that a bit of a moment, I think was the perfect way to finish the season, but an all-women’s event that’s all about the glitz and the glamour and putting eyes on women. The report also notes that created by Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder and husband of tennis’ 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams, Athlos was staging a meet for the first time outside of New York. The report also notes that a top prize of $65,000 (£48,500) was on offer in each event, in addition to the silver Tiffany crown awarded to winners instead of medals. The report also notes that each featuring six athletes, with money on offer for each position from a total event prize pot of $1.05m (£790,500), the single-night meet included seven disciplines. The report also notes that hodgkinson shows off her dance moves at Athlos.
