GST announces its final signings: Full roster complete, no Noah, Sha'Carri

for a rough idea of quality of the field, here's the full list of racers with date of signing ordered by best Worlds/Olympic finish:

Long Sprints Salwa Eid Naser (BHR) 21 Nov 2024 1st (2019)
Long Hurdles Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) 18 Jun 2024 1st (2020, 2022, 2024)
Short Hurdles Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PUR) 25 Sep 2024 1st (2020)
Short Sprints Fred Kerley (USA) 12 Sep 2024 1st (2022)
Long Hurdles Alison Dos Santos (BRA) 26 Sep 2024 1st (2022)
Short Distance Josh Kerr (GBR)[9] 27 Jun 2024 1st (2023)
Short Distance Marco Arop (CAN) 22 Oct 2024 1st (2023)
Short Distance Mary Moraa (KEN) 21 Nov 2024 1st (2023)
Long Sprints Quincy Hall (USA) 10 Oct 2024 1st (2024)
Short Distance Cole Hocker (USA) 4 Sep 2024 1st (2024)
Short Sprints Gabby Thomas (USA) 27 Nov 2024 1st (2024)
Short Hurdles Masai Russell (USA) 25 Sep 2024 1st (2024)
Long Sprints Marileidy Paulino (DOM) 22 Oct 2024 1st (2024)
Long Distance Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH) 10 Dec 2024 2nd (2013)
Long Hurdles Shamier Little (USA) 22 Oct 2024 2nd (2015, 2023)
Short Sprints Kenny Bednarek (USA) 12 Sep 2024 2nd (2020, 2022, 2024)
Long Sprints Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR) 10 Oct 2024 2nd (2023, 2024)
Short Distance Diribe Welteji (ETH) 19 Dec 2024 2nd (2023)
Short Hurdles Daniel Roberts (USA) 22 Oct 2024 2nd (2024)
Long Distance Ronald Kwemoi (KEN) 15 Oct 2024 2nd (2024)
Short Hurdles Cyrena Samba-Mayela (FRA) 25 Sep 2024 2nd (2024)
Short Distance Jess Hull (AUS) 22 Oct 2024 2nd (2024)
Long Hurdles Rushell Clayton (JAM) 22 Oct 2024 3rd (2019, 2023)
Short Sprints Zharnel Hughes (GBR) 19 Dec 2024 3rd (2023)
Long Sprints Muzala Samukonga (ZAM) 26 Sep 2024 3rd (2024)
Short Distance Yared Nuguse (USA) 4 Sep 2024 3rd (2024)
Long Distance Grant Fisher (USA) 15 Oct 2024 3rd (2024)
Short Sprints Melissa Jefferson (USA) 19 Sep 2024 3rd (2024)
Short Sprints Brittany Brown (USA) 19 Dec 2024 3rd (2024)
Short Hurdles Devon Allen (USA) 22 Oct 2024 4th (2021)
Short Sprints Oblique Seville (JAM) 10 Dec 2024 4th (2022, 2023)
Long Distance Luis Grijalva (GUA) 22 Oct 2024 4th (2022, 2023)
Short Hurdles Freddie Crittenden (GBR) 19 Dec 2024 4th (2023)
Long Hurdles Roshawn Clarke (JAM) 17 Oct 2024 4th (2023)
Long Sprints Jereem Richards (TRI) 22 Oct 2024 4th (2024)
Long Hurdles Clément Ducos (FRA) 26 Sep 2024 4th (2024)
Short Sprints Daryll Neita (GBR) 21 Nov 2024 4th (2024)
Long Hurdles Jasmine Jones (USA) 22 Oct 2024 4th (2024)
Short Hurdles Ackera Nugent (JAM) 17 Oct 2024 5th (2023)
Short Hurdles Sasha Zhoya (FRA) 10 Dec 2024 6th (2023)
Long Distance Agnes Ngetich (KEN) 1 Nov 2024 6th (2023)
Long Sprints Alexis Holmes (USA) 10 Dec 2024 6th (2024)
Short Distance Nikki Hiltz (USA) 15 Oct 2024 7th (2024)
Long Distance Nozomi Tanaka (JPN) 21 Nov 2024 8th (2021, 2023)
Long Distance Elise Cranny (USA) 21 Nov 2024 9th (2022, 2023)
Long Distance Tsigie Gebreselama (ETH) 1 Nov 2024 10th (2024)
Long Sprints Nickisha Pryce (JAM) 10 Dec 2024 14th sf (2024)
Long Hurdles Caleb Dean (USA) 19 Dec 2024 N/A

with only 4 racers maximum per event (and sometimes two groups to pull from like for 800m/1500m), you'd expect an ideal roster would have nobody outside the top 4 globally.

they managed to do that for 38/48 of the racers, and to be fair for some of the rest (like Ackera Nugent who fell in the Olympic final) a case could be made for a top-4 ranking. All of them have made a global outdoor final except Nickisha Pryce (semifinals) and Caleb Dean (never made a team). they were clearly holding out the last short sprint spots for Noah and Sha'Carri but they declined.

they also say in the press release they're going to announce 48 Challengers next -- i thought those would vary per Slam so we'd expect there would be more than 48 of them?

If you're talking about track superstars they are missing:

-Rai Benjamin
-Karsten Warholm
-Noah Lyles
-Letsile Tebogo
-Emmanuel Wanyonyi
-Grant Holloway
-Jakob
-Sha'Carri
-Julien Alfred
-Shelly-Ann (defensible -> age)
-Shericka Jackson
- Femke Bol
-Keely Hodgkinson
-Athing Mu
-Faith Kipyegon
-Sifan Hassan (defensible -> she's all over the place)

In the star category I'd put:
- Kishane Thompson (defensible -> injury risk)
- Djamel Sedjati (defensible -> doping worries)
- Yomif Kejelcha
- Berihu Aregawi
- Selemon Barega (defensible -> don't want all Ethiopian event group)
- Elaine Thompson-Herah (defensible -> age)
- Beatrice Chebet
- Niels Laros (defensible -> loaded group)

I'm quite surprised they didn't get Adeleke and Asher-Smith since both are based in Texas. I suspect they'll turn up as contenders. I know Georgia Bell was in talks to become a racer but I guess they couldn't make it work, a shame as based on last season, she'd walk away with a lot of prize money

I just rearranged your list if you don't mind. Separated it into gender and events. Thanks for providing the full list.

Women
Short Sprints
Gabby Thomas (USA) 27 Nov 2024 1st (2024)
Melissa Jefferson (USA) 19 Sep 2024 3rd (2024)
Brittany Brown (USA) 19 Dec 2024 3rd (2024)
Daryll Neita (GBR) 21 Nov 2024 4th (2024)

Long Sprints
Salwa Eid Naser (BHR) 21 Nov 2024 1st (2019)
Marileidy Paulino (DOM) 22 Oct 2024 1st (2024)
Alexis Holmes (USA) 10 Dec 2024 6th (2024)
Nickisha Pryce (JAM) 10 Dec 2024 14th sf (2024)

Short Hurdles
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PUR) 25 Sep 2024 1st (2020)
Masai Russell (USA) 25 Sep 2024 1st (2024)
Cyrena Samba-Mayela (FRA) 25 Sep 2024 2nd (2024)
Ackera Nugent (JAM) 17 Oct 2024 5th (2023)

Long Hurdles
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) 18 Jun 2024 1st (2020, 2022, 2024)
Shamier Little (USA) 22 Oct 2024 2nd (2015, 2023)
Rushell Clayton (JAM) 22 Oct 2024 3rd (2019, 2023)
Jasmine Jones (USA) 22 Oct 2024 4th (2024)

Short Distance
Mary Moraa (KEN) 21 Nov 2024 1st (2023)
Diribe Welteji (ETH) 19 Dec 2024 2nd (2023)
Jess Hull (AUS) 22 Oct 2024 2nd (2024)
Nikki Hiltz (USA) 15 Oct 2024 7th (2024)

Long Distance
Agnes Ngetich (KEN) 1 Nov 2024 6th (2023)
Nozomi Tanaka (JPN) 21 Nov 2024 8th (2021, 2023)
Elise Cranny (USA) 21 Nov 2024 9th (2022, 2023)
Tsigie Gebreselama (ETH) 1 Nov 2024 10th (2024)

Men
Short Sprints
Fred Kerley (USA) 12 Sep 2024 1st (2022)
Kenny Bednarek (USA) 12 Sep 2024 2nd (2020, 2022, 2024)
Zharnel Hughes (GBR) 19 Dec 2024 3rd (2023)
Oblique Seville (JAM) 10 Dec 2024 4th (2022, 2023)

Long Sprints
Quincy Hall (USA) 10 Oct 2024 1st (2024)
Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR) 10 Oct 2024 2nd (2023, 2024)
Muzala Samukonga (ZAM) 26 Sep 2024 3rd (2024)
Jereem Richards (TRI) 22 Oct 2024 4th (2024)

Short Hurdles
Daniel Roberts (USA) 22 Oct 2024 2nd (2024)
Devon Allen (USA) 22 Oct 2024 4th (2021)
Freddie Crittenden (GBR) 19 Dec 2024 4th (2023)
Sasha Zhoya (FRA) 10 Dec 2024 6th (2023)

Long Hurdles
Alison Dos Santos (BRA) 26 Sep 2024 1st (2022)
Roshawn Clarke (JAM) 17 Oct 2024 4th (2023)
Clément Ducos (FRA) 26 Sep 2024 4th (2024)
Caleb Dean (USA) 19 Dec 2024 N/A

Short Distance
Josh Kerr (GBR)[9] 27 Jun 2024 1st (2023)
Marco Arop (CAN) 22 Oct 2024 1st (2023)
Cole Hocker (USA) 4 Sep 2024 1st (2024)
Yared Nuguse (USA) 4 Sep 2024 3rd (2024)

Long Distance
Ronald Kwemoi (KEN) 15 Oct 2024 2nd (2024)
Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH) 10 Dec 2024 2nd (2013)
Grant Fisher (USA) 15 Oct 2024 3rd (2024)
Luis Grijalva (GUA) 22 Oct 2024 4th (2022, 2023)

Option 1 - best for $$$ - being on the roster as a "racer". Some kind of 4 meet salary (but I guess this means you absolutely have to be there save for injury right?), shot at the 100k every slam.

Option 2 - best for performance/season outlook - picking and choosing 1-2 races and negotiating appearance $$$ for your starts.

In the case of Lyles and Richardson it's far better to take option 2. Probably not interested in racing until the end of June anyway (the LA meet), turn up for a sizable appearance fee because your agent is absolutely going to know what the others are making and what your relative worth is. You then get to race guys that have been competing since the beginning of April at weird intervals (twice every 3-4 weeks) so you have a real shot at a comfortable 100k. If you are Lyles/SCR you could have a nice 200k in your pocket before the beginning of July without much fuss.

Back to injuries etc - I'd be interested to see what the start rate is across the the entire 4 meets for the signed up "racers". Obviously very little chance that all of the signed up racers start all 4 meets/ all 8 races - somebody is getting hurt/not going to want to run when the realities of 8 races prior to July sets in. How they deal with this human element will be also interesting to see play out.

Also missing (categorize them as you will):

• Christian Coleman
• Erriyon Knighton
• Michael Norman
• Bryce Hoppel
• Jacob Kiplimo
• Natalia Kaczmarek
• Shaunae Miller-Uibo
• Anna Cockrell
• Gudaf Tsegay

Can't sign everyone though. As I've said before, they've done a great job with their roster as a start-up league.

Totally fair, I think the only "superstar" of this group would be Miller-Uibo, but she's more of a star until we see where she's at physically. Tsegay/Knighton/Coleman firmly in the star category at best. The doubling aspect is not ideal for most of the above, lowering their appeal.

My wife who has run in the OT would rather go to a WNBA game than any of these Meets.
I will take my entire family to NCAAs because there are team scores and compelling stories.
Who is the audience for GST?
The NFL has a huge following but no one cares about pre season games. This is preseason time trials. I don’t get it.

can you explain how the “challengers” work? Are those athletes in the league who aren’t officially signed but still qualify for prize money? I’m assuming there’s not just four runners in each race but I’m confused

Yes that's my understanding, they're aiming for fields of 8 each race so the other 4 spots will be filled by challengers. They will still have to double and be eligible for the $100K and they'll probably get appearance fees on top of that. But they won't be paid a "league salary" and won't have to commit to all four slams

side note, having a 5K with only eight people will be hard to watch. They hosted a 1500 with Kipyegon and only 5 other runners at Athlos in September, and despite having a pacer the race dynamics were totally off. Honestly I'd rather see dual races with two interesting rivals than a 5K with eight people bunched up for 90% of the race

Who cares what your wife thinks. This wasn’t created for her. She’s just jealous because she sucked at the OT and doesn’t get invited to run in meets.

I think we all need to get it out of our heads that we’re the target market for GST. It’s looking to tap into a new market for non-Olympic Athletics—the general sports fan—that is much larger than Track & Field diehards. They need to reach that larger pool to justify their level of investment, planned spend, and payouts to athletes. It might not work, but it makes sense.

As Tobias Funke once said about a group only slightly smaller than US track fans, “There are dozens of us—DOZENS!” (So, in the bigger picture of things, who cares whether these meets appeal to OTQers, LetsRun message board posters or T&F News subscribers, when there are so many bigger fish to fry?)