IAAF Grand Prix


The IAAF Grand Prix was an annual, global circuit of one-day outdoor track and field competitions organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was created in 1985 as the IAAF's first seasonal track and field circuit and lasted until 2009. Athletes scored points based on their performances on the circuit and the top athletes were invited to the annual IAAF Grand Prix Final.
The IAAF Grand Prix expanded over its lifetime to incorporate the IAAF Golden League, the IAAF Super Grand Prix, IAAF Grand Prix and IAAF Grand Prix II. IAAF/Area Permit Meetings were also attached to the series, allowing athletes to score additional points in certain events at lower level meetings. In 2003 the series concept was renamed at the IAAF World Outdoor Meetings and the Grand Prix was reduced to a single tier of competitions within that tour. The series was again folded into the IAAF World Athletics Tour upon its creation in 2006, before being rendered defunct by the introduction of the IAAF Diamond League and IAAF World Challenge in 2010.

History

Created in 1985, the IAAF Grand Prix was the first global series of outdoor invitational track and field meetings organised by the IAAF. It followed on from the IAAF Golden Events, where the IAAF helped finance meetings between the world's top athletes to encourage seasonal engagement with the sport outside of the Olympic cycle. The creation of the IAAF Grand Prix circuit came two years after the first World Championships in Athletics in 1983, highlighting the sports governing body's pivot to a more direct role in organising athletics competitions.
From 1985 to 1992 the series featured Grand Prix Meetings and IAAF Permit Meetings. The series culminated in the IAAF Grand Prix Final, which athletes gained qualification to based on their performances at the series' meetings. The competing athletes at the final earned additional points for their performances there, and the series winner of each event was the athlete with the highest score. In 1993 the Grand Prix format was amended so that the event winner was the first place athlete at the Final competitions, rather than the seasonal points leader, and this format continued until the last Grand Prix Final in 2002.
In 1993 the IAAF Council approved a new tier of IAAF Grand Prix II meetings, which Permit-level meetings could apply for after two years. That same year four of the Grand Prix meetings organised a Golden Four group of top-level European meetings within the series. In response, the IAAF Grand Prix series was again expanded with the foundation of the IAAF Golden League in 1998, which split out the Golden Four meetings as a new top tier within the IAAF Grand Prix circuit. After this point, the IAAF Grand Prix referred to multiple concepts in that it was both an annual series of track and field meetings incorporating four tiers as well as a term to refer to the second and third tiers of that series. In 2003, an IAAF Super Grand Prix level was added to the circuit, the IAAF Permit Meeting tier was dropped, and the Grand Prix Final was replaced with the IAAF World Athletics Final.
In 2003 the IAAF World Outdoor Meetings brand superseded the IAAF Grand Prix to the umbrella series concept and Grand Prix levels I and II continued within that series. In 2006, the IAAF World Athletics Tour was formed to replace the World Outdoor Meetings and at this time the IAAF Grand Prix II tier was dropped in favour of an Area Permit Meeting structure. The IAAF Grand Prix was made defunct along with the World Athletics Tour in 2010, as both were replaced by the IAAF Diamond League and IAAF World Challenge series.

Editions

The IAAF Grand Prix calendar was subject to change during its lifetime, with the number of meetings, the constituent meetings, the categorisation of meetings, and the duration of the series all regularly changing from year to year. Athletes received points based on their performances at the meetings on the circuit, with more points being given at the more prestigious and competitive competitions. From 2006 to 2009, series points could also be scored in certain events at Area Permit Meeting qualifiers, although the meetings themselves were not considered a formal part of the meeting series.
A total of seven meeting categories existed over the lifetime of the circuit:
Key:
EditionYearStart dateEnd dateMeetsGLSGPGPGP2PMFinalFinal dateRef.
11985––1985 IAAF Grand Prix Final7 September
21986––1986 IAAF Grand Prix Final10 September
31987––1987 IAAF Grand Prix Final11 September
41988––1988 IAAF Grand Prix Final13 September
51989––1989 IAAF Grand Prix Final1 September
61990––1990 IAAF Grand Prix Final7 September
71991––1991 IAAF Grand Prix Final20 September
81992––1992 IAAF Grand Prix Final4 September
91993––1993 IAAF Grand Prix Final10 September
101994––1994 IAAF Grand Prix Final3 September
111995––1995 IAAF Grand Prix Final9 September
12199629 February16 September29––1712101996 IAAF Grand Prix Final7 September
13199720 February16 September28––1711151997 IAAF Grand Prix Final13 September
14199825 February30 August266–911111998 IAAF Grand Prix Final5 September
15199925 February5 September287–1011?1999 IAAF Grand Prix Final11 September
1620002 March3 September267–910132000 IAAF Grand Prix Final5 October
1720011 March2 September287–1011122001 IAAF Grand Prix Final9 September
1820027 March8 September277–911102002 IAAF Grand Prix Final14 September
1920031 March7 September34671011–2003 IAAF World Athletics Final13–14 September
20200412 February12 September3468911–2004 IAAF World Athletics Final18–19 September
21200517 February4 September34681010–2005 IAAF World Athletics Final9–10 September
2220069 March3 September246612–252006 IAAF World Athletics Final9–10 September
2320072 March16 September246513–272007 IAAF World Athletics Final22–23 September
24200828 September 20079 September 2008256514–292008 IAAF World Athletics Final13–14 September
25200920 September 20086 September 2009256514–292009 IAAF World Athletics Final12–13 September

Meetings

#MeetingCityCountry199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009
1ISTAF BerlinBerlinGermanyGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGL
2Bislett GamesOsloNorwayGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGL
3Golden GalaRomeItalyGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGL
4Weltklasse ZürichZürichSwitzerlandGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGL
5Memorial Van DammeBrusselsBelgiumGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGL
6Meeting ArevaSaint-DenisFranceGPGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGL
7HerculisMonte CarloMonacoGLGLGLGLGLWAFWAFWAFSGPSGPSGPSGP
8AthletissimaLausanneSwitzerlandGPGPGPGPGPSGPSGPSGPSGPSGPSGPSGP
9London Grand PrixLondonUnited KingdomGPGPGPGPGPSGPSGPSGPSGPSGPSGPSGP
10DN GalanStockholmSwedenGPGPGPGPGPSGPSGPSGPSGPSGPSGPSGP
11Qatar Athletic Super Grand PrixDohaQatarGP2GPGPFGPGP-SGPSGPSGPSGPSGPSGP
12British Grand PrixGatesheadUnited KingdomGP2GP2GP2GP2GP2SGPSGPSGPGPGPGPGP
13Athens Grand Prix TsiklitiriaAthensGreece-GP2GPGPGPSGPSGPSGPSGPGPGPGP
14Golden Spike OstravaOstravaCzech Republic-----SGPSGPSGPGPGPGPGP
15Meeting de Atletismo MadridMadridSpain-----SGPSGPSGPGPGPGPGP
16Prefontaine ClassicEugeneUnited StatesGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGP
17Osaka Grand PrixOsakaJapanGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGP
18Grande Premio Brasil Caixa de AtletismoBelémBrazilGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGPGP
19Melbourne Track ClassicMelbourneAustraliaGP2GP2GP2GP2GP2GP2GP2GP2GPGPGPGP
20FBK GamesHengeloNetherlandsGP2GP2GP2GP2GP2GPGPGPGPGPGPGP
21Rieti MeetingRietiItalyGP2GP2GP2GP2GP2GPGPGPGPGPGPGP
22Hanžeković MemorialZagrebCroatia--GP2GP2GP2GPGPGPGPGPGPGP
23Meeting Grand Prix IAAF de DakarDakarSenegal--------GPGPGPGP
24Adidas Grand PrixNew York CityUnited States---------GPGPGP
25Shanghai Golden Grand PrixShanghaiChina----------GPGP
26Helsinki Grand PrixHelsinkiFinlandGP2GP2GP2GP2GP2GP-GPGP---
27Gran Premio DiputaciónSevilleSpainGP2GP2GP2GP2GP2GPGPGP----
28Gugl Grand PrixLinzAustriaGP2GP2GP2GP2GP2GPGPGP----
29Cena Slovenska - Slovak GoldBratislavaSlovakiaGP2GP2GP2GP2GP2GP2------
30Brothers Znamensky MemorialKazanRussia-----GP2GP2GP2----
31International Meeting ThessalonikiThessalonikiGreece-----GP2GP2GP2---WAF
32Palo Alto MeetingPalo AltoUnited States---GPGPGP2GP2GP2----
33Meeting du Conseil Général de la MartiniqueFort-de-FranceFrance-----GP2GP2GP2----
34Notturna di MilanoMilanItaly-----GP2GP2GP2----
35Memorial Primo NebioloTurinItaly-----GP2GP2GP2----
36Meeting Lille-MétropoleVilleneuve-d'AscqFrance-----GPGPGP----
37Josef Odložil MemorialPragueCzech Republic-----GP2GP2GP2----
38KBC Night of AthleticsHeusden-ZolderBelgium-----GP2GP2GP2----
39Grande Premio Rio de AtletismoRio de JaneiroBrazil------GP2GP2----
40Engen Grand PrixPretoriaSouth AfricaGP2GP2GP2GP2GP2-------
41Meeting NikaïaNiceFranceGPGPGPGP--------
42Adidas Oregon Track ClassicPortlandUnited States---GP2GP2GP2GP2-----
43US Open MeetSt. LouisUnited StatesGPGP----------
44Meeting de L'HumanitéSt. DenisFranceGP2GP2----------
45Weltklasse in KölnCologneGermany-GP----------
46Pontiac Grand Prix InvitationalRaleighUnited States--GP---------

In addition to event-level winners decided after the IAAF Grand Prix Final, the male and female athletes with the highest points scores across ally events were crowned the overall IAAF Grand Prix winners. Prize money was awarded to the eight top-scoring athletes on the circuit, with first prize being US$200,000 in 1998.
YearMen's winnerMen's pointsWomen's winnerWomen's points
19856369
19866369
19876363
19886363
19896967
19906363
19916963
19926363
19937272
19947872
19957884
199610393
199711499
1998136130
1999111108
2000101110
2001102116
2002116116