Miami’s Turn: Big Names, Bigger Questions at Grand Slam Track Weekend

Miami’s Turn: Big Names, Bigger Questions at Grand Slam Track Weekend

The second stop of the 2025 Grand Slam Track series lands in Miramar, Florida, this weekend, and if Kingston was any indication, expect fireworks. From Friday to Sunday, a mix of Olympic medalists, world champions, and rising challengers will take the track, each with their sights on the $100,000 group titles and, perhaps more importantly, bragging rights in this new, cash-rich circuit.

Gabby Thomas and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden will headline the most anticipated showdown of the meet in the women’s 100/200 group. Both were victorious in their event categories in Kingston, but only one can walk away with the crown in Miami. Jefferson-Wooden swept the short sprints in Jamaica, beating a solid field in both the 100 and 200. Thomas, on the other hand, dominated the 200/400 and enters the weekend fresh off an 11.02 win in Austin. The 200 meters, set for Saturday evening, could be the race of the weekend. Add in Olympic bronze medalist Brittany Brown, who is dangerous across both sprints, and you have a potent trio with little room for error.

Thomas should be favored as her range is unmatched. But Jefferson-Wooden’s sharp form and Brown’s ability to pounce if either stumbles make this one hard to call. Brown doesn’t just want to hang around, she wants to prove she can win a big one.

If the sprints are about showdowns, the men’s 800/1500m is about settling scores.

The Kingston 1500 was a brawl, and Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi stole the spotlight by beating the entire Olympic 1500 podium. He’s skipping Miami, but Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr, and Yared Nuguse are back. If they were the only three in the race, it would be enough to draw a crowd. But they’ll be joined by World 800m champion Marco Arop and a fresh cast of challengers, including Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot and Australia’s Peter Bol.

Kerr is the question mark. He looked sharp in the Kingston 1500 but was way off in the 800, failing to break 1:50. That’s unlike him. He missed time earlier in the season with a hip injury, and we’ll find out this weekend if the rust is gone. Hocker, meanwhile, came close in Kingston, but mistimed his positioning and couldn’t close despite having the fastest final 200. He’ll want that one back.

The field’s depth is compelling. Cheruiyot is running his first 1500m of the season after a mixed 2024 that ended without a spot in the Olympic final. He’s been training in Europe with a new group and could shake things up. Bol, meanwhile, is hot off a national record of 1:43.79 in the 800 three weeks ago. Don’t be shocked if he makes a big move late.

There’s also something brewing in the women’s 200/400m. Marileidy Paulino and Salwa Eid Naser are the big stars. Naser in particular looked in world-beating form in Kingston, cruising to a 48.67 in the 400. Paulino is steady and relentless, but she may need more than that to hold off a pair of indoor breakout stars in Amber Anning and Isabella Whittaker. Anning, the World Indoor 400 champion, and Whittaker, the NCAA and American indoor record holder at 49.24, are both stepping into deeper waters. This will be their test against seasoned global medalists.

Whittaker might be the most interesting name here. She’s fearless, and if the race goes out hard, she has shown she can hold on. But Naser’s form right now feels close to untouchable.

On the distance side, Grant Fisher looks ready to cash another check. The American tactician played the first meet perfectly—third in the 3000, a win in the 5000, and a six-figure payout. His logic was simple: if they couldn’t beat him in the 3k, they weren’t going to stop him in the 5k. It worked. And based on the current field, it’s hard to see who stops him in Miami.

Conditions will be hot, and maybe that opens the door for a surprise. But Fisher is comfortable in any scenario. He set indoor world records in both events this past winter and doesn’t seem to be missing a beat.

Finally, keep an eye on the women’s 800/1500m. Jessica Hull, Nikki Hiltz, Mary Moraa, and Diribe Welteji were already part of a fun group to watch. Now they’re joined by Freweyni Hailu, and things just got a little more serious. Hailu is coming off a World Indoor title in the 3000 and has the tools, 1:57 for 800, 3:54 for 1500—to be a threat in either race. She’s versatile and tough, and her presence will put pressure on Moraa in the 800 and Welteji in the 1500.

If Hailu is even 90% sharp, she’ll be in the mix late. Moraa has won plenty of tactical battles in recent years, but this won’t be easy.