Entering its 16th year, the Diamond League is an annual series of elite athletics that draws the highest-ranking athletes across track and field events to compete.
Comprised of a series of stops around the globe, the Diamond League is one of the most exciting parts of the international athletics calendar as the world’s best go head-to-head. With the 2025 edition set to get underway, here is everything you need to know.
What is the Diamond League?
The Diamond League is a series of athletics meets across the world for the very best athletes.
There are 15 meetings across 13 countries running between 26 April and 28 August.
Each meet will include a number of track and field events for men and women known as Diamond Disciplines.
There are 32 Diamond Disciplines in total, with each meet hosting 13 to 15 of them over one day – not all meets contain the same events, and some even hold lesser-spotted events such as the 1000m.
The Diamond League finals in in Zurich on 27 and 28 August last two days and features all 32 Diamond Disciplines to determine the Diamond League champions in each event.
What are the Diamond Disciplines?
Track events: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 3000m Steeplechase
Field events: Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Pole Vault, Shot Put, Discus, Javelin
How can you win the Diamond League?
To become a Diamond League champion, an athlete has to win at the finals in Zurich, but first they must qualify.
Only a selection of athletes who achieve the top scores across the various meets qualify for the finals, with an exception for those who qualify by wildcard.
How does scoring work in the Diamond League?
The top 8 athletes at each meeting receive points. First place gets eight points, second place gets seven points, and so on with eighth place receiving one point.
The top-ranked athletes with the highest points across the season enter the final. This includes the top six for field events, top eight for shorter track events (100m-800m) and top 10 for long-distance track events (1500m, 5000m and 3000m Steeplechase).
What’s new this season in 2025?
This year a new concept will be introduced: Diamond+ Disciplines.
Each meeting will now involve the nomination of four events (two male and male female) that will receive an increased amount of prize money at that specific meeting, with these events referred to as Diamond+ Disciplines.
For example, the first place prize money award is usually $10,000 but will be doubled to $20,000 for Diamond+ Disciplines.
A maximum of $50,000 in the finals could be awarded to the first place athlete in a Diamond+ Discipline.
Which British athletes will be competing in 2025?
Start lists for each Diamond League meet are released a week or so ahead of time, but some athletes are confirmed for certain events well in advance.
Josh Kerr, the 1500m world champion and Olympic silver medallist, will face off against 2023 world champion Jake Wightman, in London on 19 July.
Molly Caudery, Zharnel Hughes, Dina Asher-Smith and Jazmin Sawyers also return to the London Stadium.
Which British athletes have won the Diamond League?
Charlie Dobson – 400m, 2024
Keely Hodgkinson – 800m, 2021, 2023
Laura Muir – 1500m, 2016
Greg Rutherford – Long Jump, 2015
Shara Proctor – Long Jump, 2013
Robbie Grabarz – High Jump, 2012
Dai Greene – 400m Hurdles, 2011
Phillips Idowu – Long Jump, 2011
Jenny Meadows – 800m, 2011
What are the venues for 2025?
The London Diamond League, or the London Athletics Meet, takes place on 19 July at the London Stadium.
Here is the full list of dates and venues for the 2025 season:
19 July – London, Great Britain
16 August – Silesia, Poland
20 August – Lausanne, Switzerland
22 August – Brussels, Belgium
27 August – Zurich, Switzerland