IAAF World Athletics Tour


The IAAF World Athletics Tour was an annual global circuit of one day track and field competitions organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Formed in 2006, it comprised two separate levels of athletics meetings: the first level being the IAAF Golden League and IAAF Super Grand Prix events, and the second comprising IAAF Grand Prix events and area permit meetings. It replaced the IAAF World Outdoor Meetings series, which had only started three years earlier, and rendered the IAAF Grand Prix II series defunct.
The tour featured twenty-five of the world's premier athletics meetings comprising: six Golden League meetings, five Super Grand Prix meetings and fourteen Grand Prix meetings. There were also 25 or more area permit meetings every year which were run by one of the six continental athletics associations, which featured some point-scoring events. Athletes collected points at the meetings, dependent upon their finishing position, and the overall points leaders gained entry to the annual World Athletics Final.
From 2010 onwards the World Athletics Tour is replaced by the IAAF Diamond League and IAAF World Challenge Meetings.

Editions

The IAAF World Athletics Tour calendar was subject to change during its lifetime, with the number of meetings, the constituent 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 Meetings, although the meetings themselves were not considered a formal part of the series. Area permit meetings were divided by continent as follows: Asian Grand Prix, CAA Grand Prix Series, EAA Outdoor Meetings, Oceania Area Permit Meetings, NACAC Area Permit Meetings, and Grand Prix Sudamericano.
A total of five meeting categories existed over the lifetime of the circuit:
EditionYearStart dateEnd dateMeetsGLSGPGPAPMFinalFinal dateRef.
120069 March3 September246612252006 IAAF World Athletics Final9–10 September
220072 March16 September246513272007 IAAF World Athletics Final22–23 September
3200828 September 20079 September 2008256514292008 IAAF World Athletics Final13–14 September
4200920 September 20086 September 2009256514292009 IAAF World Athletics Final12–13 September

Points system

Athletes earned points in each event at the designated IAAF World Athletics Tour meetings. Winning athletes at Grand Prix level meetings earned ten points, while runners-up earned between one and eight points dependent on their finishing position. The Golden League and Super Grand Prix meets were worth twice as many points. Furthermore, athletes may earned additional points at certain area permit meetings.
The athletes with the most points at the end of the season's World Athletics Tour were entered to compete at the World Athletics Final, an event which offers athletes the possibility of substantial earnings.

Meetings

The IAAF World Athletics Tour calendar was subject to change during its lifetime, with the number of meetings, the constituent 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.
#MeetingCityCountry2006200720082009
1ISTAF BerlinBerlinGermanyGLGLGLGL
2Bislett GamesOsloNorwayGLGLGLGL
3Golden GalaRomeItalyGLGLGLGL
4Weltklasse ZürichZürichSwitzerlandGLGLGLGL
5Memorial Van DammeBrusselsBelgiumGLGLGLGL
6Meeting ArevaSaint-DenisFranceGLGLGLGL
7HerculisMonte CarloMonacoSGPSGPSGPSGP
8AthletissimaLausanneSwitzerlandSGPSGPSGPSGP
9London Grand PrixLondonUnited KingdomSGPSGPSGPSGP
10DN GalanStockholmSwedenSGPSGPSGPSGP
11Qatar Athletic Super Grand PrixDohaQatarSGPSGPSGPSGP
12British Grand PrixGatesheadUnited KingdomGPGPGPGP
13Athens Grand Prix TsiklitiriaAthensGreeceGPGPGPGP
14Golden Spike OstravaOstravaCzech RepublicGPGPGPGP
15Meeting de Atletismo MadridMadridSpainGPGPGPGP
16Prefontaine ClassicEugeneUnited StatesGPGPGPGP
17Osaka Grand PrixOsakaJapanGPGPGPGP
18Grande Premio Brasil Caixa de AtletismoRio de JaneiroBrazilGPGPGPGP
19Melbourne Track ClassicMelbourneAustraliaGPGPGPGP
20FBK GamesHengeloNetherlandsGPGPGPGP
21Rieti MeetingRietiItalyGPGPGPGP
22Hanžeković MemorialZagrebCroatiaGPGPGPGP
23Meeting Grand Prix IAAF de DakarDakarSenegalGPGPGPGP
24Adidas Grand PrixNew York CityUnited StatesAPMGPGPGP
25Shanghai Golden Grand PrixShanghaiChina†GPGPGP
26Helsinki Grand PrixHelsinkiFinlandGP---
27Gugl Grand PrixLinzAustriaAPMAPM--
28Brothers Znamensky MemorialZhukovskyRussiaAPM-APMAPM
29International Meeting ThessalonikiThessalonikiGreeceAPMAPMAPMAPM
30Memorial Primo NebioloTurinItalyAPMAPMAPMAPM
31Meeting Lille-MétropoleVilleneuve-d'AscqFranceAPMAPMAPMAPM
32Josef Odložil MemorialPragueCzech RepublicAPMAPMAPMAPM
33KBC Night of AthleticsHeusden-ZolderBelgiumAPMAPMAPMAPM
34Grande Premio Rio de AtletismoRio de JaneiroBrazilAPMAPMAPMAPM
35IAAF World Athletics FinalStuttgartGermanyWAFWAFWAFWAF
–Telstra A-series BrisbaneBrisbaneAustraliaAPM---
–CAA Grand Prix d'AbujaAbujaNigeriaAPMAPMAPMAPM
–Jamaica International InvitationalKingstonJamaicaAPMAPMAPMAPM
–GP Sul-Americano de Porto AlegrePorto AlegreBrazilAPM---
–GP Sud-Americano CAIXA de AtletismoFortalezaBrazilAPMAPMAPMAPM
–Adidas Track ClassicCarsonUnited StatesAPMAPMAPMAPM
–European Athletics Festival BydgoszczBydgoszczPolandAPMAPMAPMAPM
–Reunión Internacional Gobierno de AragonZaragozaSpainAPMAPMAPMAPM
–Maroc Telecom Rabat InternationalRabatMoroccoAPM--APM
–Janusz Kusociński MemorialWarsawPolandAPMAPMAPMAPM
–Meeting Atletismo HuelvaHuelvaSpainAPM---
–CAA Grand Prix d'AlgerAlgiersAlgeriaAPMAPMAPMAPM
–Spitzen Leichtathletik LuzernLucerneSwitzerlandAPMAPMAPMAPM
–VardinoyianniaRethymnoGreeceAPMAPMAPMAPM
–Tallinn MeetingTallinnEstoniaAPMAPMAPMAPM
–Palio Città della QuerciaRoveretoItalyAPMAPMAPMAPM
–Telstra A-series Grand Prix - CanberraCanberraAustralia-APMAPM-
–Telstra A-series Grand Prix - SydneySydneyAustralia-APMAPMAPM
–New Zealand Grand Prix - ChristchurchChristchurchNew Zealand-APM--
–Gold Meeting Sesi CaixaUberlândiaBrazil-APMAPMAPM
–Grand Premio AndalucíaHerreraSpain-APM--
–Asian Grand Prix - BangkokBangkokThailand-APMAPM-
–Asian Grand Prix - GuwahatiGuwahatiIndia-APM--
–Asian Grand Prix - PunePuneIndia-APM--
–New Zealand Permit MeetingWaitakere CityNew Zealand--APMAPM
–Ponce Grand Prix de AtletismoPoncePuerto Rico--APMAPM
–Brazzaville CAA Super Grand PrixBrazzavilleRepublic of the Congo--APM-
–Meeting de Atletismo JerezJerez de la FronteraSpain--APM-
–Asian Grand Prix - KoratNakhon RatchasimaThailand--APM-
–Asian Grand Prix - HanoiHanoiVietnam--APM-
–Asian AA Grand Prix - SuzhouSuzhouChina---APM
–Asian AA Grand Prix - KunshanKunshanChina---APM
–Asian AA Grand Prix - Hong KongHong KongChina---APM
–Meeting de Atletismo MálagaMálagaSpain---APM
–Moscow OpenMoscowRussia---APM