by Larry Eder
Hey, track fans! Start saving up the travel dollars and be ready to go to LA on May 26-27! This is going to be HUGE. Imagine a track and field event promoted before the meeting and the sponsors building exciting events to celebrate track & field! Watch for two more stories tonight!
USATF, Bobby Kersee, and WebMD Unveil Details About First-ever LA Grand Prix Track Festival
Innovative Fan Festival at UCLA Celebrates Track & Field’s Past, Present, and Future
LOS ANGELES (January 4, 2023) — An athletics weekend unlike any other is coming to Los Angeles in May 2023: The LA Grand Prix, a first-of-its-kind, star-studded event that celebrates and elevates the sport of track and field while honoring Olympic legends.
Designed as a no-holds-barred, maximum-energy celebration of the sport, the LA Grand Prix will consist of a daytime international track meet and fan festival and the USATF Legends Jam, a dazzling nighttime musical experience combining performances from renowned artists and appearances from some of the biggest legends in track and field.
Bobby Kersee and the Internet Brands/WebMD Impact Fund shared event details for the first time today, which partially funded the LA Grand Prix in partnership with USA Track & Field (USATF).
“LA used to be the pinnacle of the track and field world – and we intend to reignite that passion in one of the largest and most successful running communities in the world,” said Bobby Kersee, who has trained more female sprinter gold medalists than anyone alive.
Jackie Joyner Kersee, a seven-time Olympic and World Champion gold medalist, who was voted Athlete of the Century, added, “I’m very honored to be part of the host committee for this amazing event – and it’s at my home field, historic Drake Stadium at UCLA.”
“USATF is thrilled to be returning in such a big way to LA, with the Olympics on the horizon,” said Max Siegel, CEO of USATF. “Partnering with Bob Brisco from Internet Brands and others, we’re viewing the LA meet as an incubator of exciting new approaches for engaging our athletes, fans, and communities. We’re back in LA to stay in a big way.”
The LA Grand Prix is part of USATF’s Grand Prix Series of elite gold-label events. A portion of funds raised from the LA Grand Prix events will go toward funding for athlete development and youth athletics, boosting the visibility of the sport on a global scale.
“At this athletic and musical weekend, we will celebrate the five core elements of the sport: equality, equanimity, community, vitality, and inclusivity,” said Bob Brisco, CEO of Internet Brands and WebMD. “And we will have a lot of fun surprises.”
International Gold-Label Track Meet & Fan Festival
The LA Grand Prix weekend opens the evening of May 26, 2023, with the USATF Distance Classic, followed on the afternoon of May 27, 2023, with an international, gold-label track meet, both at UCLA’s iconic Drake Stadium. The meet is expected to draw some of the biggest names in the sport and will be broadcast nationally on NBC.
Adding to the excitement, a music, food, and fan festival will run throughout the afternoon adjacent to the meet. The festival will offer innovative fan experiences and an eclectic mix of food options and musical performances.
The USATF Legends Jam: A Truly Legendary Party Under The Stars
Following the meet and fan festival, the first-ever USATF Legends Jam takes place at UCLA on the evening of May 27, 2023. This exuberant party under the stars will offer a unique opportunity to enjoy fine food and celebrate alongside track and field legends while grooving to a wonderfully diverse collection of LA’s very best R&B, Gospel, Soul, and Rock ‘N Roll musical acts.
The Legends Jam will also honor numerous track and field legends who left a lasting impact on the sport and their larger communities.
About USATF
USA Track & Field (USATF), based in Indianapolis, is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running, and race walking in the U.S. The organization provides leadership for Athletics, the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, and develops and selects Team USATF, #1 in the World.
The organization also provides leadership to school-aged, prep, collegiate, and adult athletic programs and competitions. With more than 30 million adult runners in the US, the organization’s activities are broad, encompassing sanctioning more than 8,000 events annually and nurturing grassroots programs, such as the Junior Olympics, to help develop the sport’s future stars.
About the Internet Brands/WebMD Impact Fund
Internet Brands/WebMD is a global information and marketing services company headquartered in Los Angeles that is a leader in vertical markets such as Health, Legal, Auto, and Home. The IB/WebMD Impact Fund is the company’s primary philanthropic vehicle. The Fund focuses broadly on health and human service initiatives, with a special emphasis on issues related to health outcomes, homelessness, and youth development.
