Professional track

The International Track Association was a 1973 creation by sports promoter Mike O'Hara, to try to bring professionalism, defined as athletes making an income from their athletic performance, to the sport of track and field.

Prior to the formation of the league, track and field athletes were amateur athletes, so required by the Olympic creed of the day. The only income they received from their sport was "under the table." As a result, many American athletes' careers were frequently cut short shortly after their subsidized participation at the collegiate level ended, while Eastern Bloc and other international athletes frequently had their careers extended, subsidized ostensibly by participation in the Army or police forces. Pressure from the athletes had been mounting for years to find an answer.

O'Hara had previous experience developing the American Basketball Association and World Hockey Association. The intent was to make a tour, sponsored by television, with regular appearances by top name athletes. But under the rules of the day, those athletes knew they had to sacrifice future participation in the Olympics. American Olympic medalists, Jim Ryun, Rod Milburn, Bob Seagren and Steve Smith and international medalists including Guy Drut, Ben Jipcho and Kip Keino signed on.

The venture struggled from organizational difficulties as well as spotty participation from its star athletes.