Wanda Diamond League announces record increase in prize money for 2025 season: Here's the complete breakdown as it looks to match new rival leagues
The Wanda Diamond League is set to increase the overall prize money of the Diamond League meetings starting from the 2025 track and field season. This comes just three days after the conclusion of the last Diamond League meet of the 2024 season, in Brussels.
As per a release on the official website, the Diamond League will offer around $9.24 million in prize money to the winners of various events around the season and will spend around a combined $18 million across the season, including travel and transport, accommodation, and other provisions.
The prize money for the 14 meets around the season will range from $30000 and $50000 while for the Diamond League finals, the amount will be between $60000 and $100000. This increase in the prize pool of the events will lead to the track meet paying its highest-ever remuneration to the athletes ever since its prominence in 2010.
This decision was taken on Sunday, September 15, during a Diamond League General Assembly. Following this decision, Petr Stastny, Chief Executive Officer opened up about the thought process of the organization to offer an increase in the prize money pool ahead of the 2025 track and field season.
Besides, he also commented on the sustainability of the track and field meet saying (via Wanda Diamond League), saying,
"The Wanda Diamond League remains committed to rewarding the athletes more, whilst at the same time ensuring the long term sustainability of the series, so it continues to provide vital competition to the athletes for many more years to come."
This decision from the Diamond League meeting comes amid the launch of Michael Johnson's new Grand Slam Track meet in 2025 that will offer an even more lucrative prize money pool, amounting to $262,500 in each of its four track meets across the season.
When does the Wanda Diamond League start in the 2025 track and field season?
The Wanda Diamond League is scheduled to start on April 26 next season with the Xiamen Diamond League meeting at the Egret Stadium in Xiamen, China. Following this, the organization will have two more meets in Asian cities, namely Suzhou and Doha. After this, the athletic carnival will take a stop at the Moroccan capital of Rabat.
The next 10 meets of the 2025 Diamond League will be held in Europe in various cities such as Rome, Stockholm, and Brussels, barring the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, United States. Eugene is scheduled as the ninth meet of the season, on July 5.
Upon the conclusion of these 14 events, the final and 15th Wanda Diamond League competition of the 2025 track and field season will be held in the German city of Zurich on August 27 and 28.