The world’s top athletes are set to clash in one of the most lucrative track and field contests in history as the 2025 World Athletics Championships head to Tokyo from September 13 to 21.
This year’s edition will feature a record-breaking prize pot of US$10 million, the largest ever awarded at a single athletics event. World athletics confirmed this in a press release.
The championships will see competitors from across the globe battle for top honors in a packed schedule of 28 events condensed into just three days. Each session will feature finals only , no preliminaries. Sprint events will be especially intense, with only the top four finishers from each eight-athlete semifinal earning a coveted place in the final.
Meanwhile, distance races such as the 1500m and 5000m, alongside the relay events, will go straight to finals, eliminating the usual round-based progression.
Every athlete who qualifies for the Tokyo championships will walk away with financial compensation for their performance, but the ultimate reward belongs to those who top the podium. Individual event winners will claim a stunning US$150,000 each, with second and third place earning US$75,000 and US$40,000 respectively. Athletes who make the starting list receive at least US$2,000, recognizing their world-class achievement and rewarding their qualification efforts.
Victorious relay teams will share US$80,000, while second and third-placed squads take home US$40,000 and US$24,000 respectively. Teams finishing as low as eighth will still earn US$8,000.
World Athletics has introduced enhanced promotional rights and commercial partnerships for athletes, opening up avenues for increased sponsorship deals, endorsements, and media engagements.
Tokyo 2025 will also serve as a crucial stepping stone toward the highly anticipated World Athletics Ultimate Championship set for Budapest in 2026. Anticipation continues to build with just 500 days to go with 26 reigning Olympic champion securing automatic qualification