The Wanda Diamond League organizers will increase athlete prize money to the highest levels in the series’ history from next season.
The Diamond League General Assembly made the decision on Sunday, which would result in an increase in prize money to 9,240,000 US dollars (Ksh1.2 billion) in 2025 for the entire season.
The current figure is the biggest since the Diamond League’s inception in 2010 and about a third more than what was paid during the pandemic-affected years of 2021–2024.
Over the course of the 2025 season, athletes will receive payments totalling around Ksh2.3 billion including promotional fees for elite athletes.
A significant amount of additional funds will be allocated to athlete services, including lodging, transportation, and medical and physical therapy.
This will be a big win for Kenyan athletes who have proved to be successful in Diamond League competitions.
Diamond League trophies.
Olympic champions Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet broke meeting records on the track at the just-concluded Allianz Memorial van Damme Diamond League (DL) in Brussels.
Kipyegon, Chebet, Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Olympic bronze medallist Faith Cherotich bagged diamond trophies.
From next season the total prize money granted at each of the 14 regular series meetings and the Wanda Diamond League Final will be Ksh289 million and Ksh64.5 million respectively, under the new arrangement.
At the series meetings, the total prize money per discipline will range from Ksh3.87 million to Ksh6.5 million and at the final, it will range from Ksh7.7 million and to Ksh12.9 million.
Athletes in all 32 diamond disciplines will profit from the boost, which will also apply to track and field.
From April to September, the series offers top athletes worldwide the opportunity to compete at the greatest level with 15 events spread over 13 nations on four continents.
Initially, overall winners -including in the concluded 2024 season – received Ksh3.87 million, Ksh1.5 million for second place, and Ksh903,000 for third place.
An estimated Ksh35 billion have been invested in athletes by the series and its events since 2010, about Ksh23.3 billion in prize money and advertising fees, and about Ksh11.6 billion in athlete services.
