The Diamond League season starts tomorrow, and here’s everything you should know about the prestigious athletics circuit.

What is the Diamond League?

The Diamond League is a series of 15 elite athletics meets held across 13 countries and four continents — Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. This year’s season runs from May through September.

The first leg of the tournament begins tomorrow, May 16, in China’s largest city, Shanghai.

What events are contested?

There are 32 different disciplines (16 for men and 16 for women) contested throughout the season, with each discipline held seven times across 14 meets.

Here is the full list of events included this season:

100m

200m

400m

800m

1,500m

3,000m / 5,000m

110m hurdles (men), 100m hurdles (women)

400m hurdles

3,000m steeplechase

High jump

Pole vault

Long jump

Triple jump

Discus

Shot put

Javelin

Athletes compete for two things at each event: prize money and points.

Points are awarded based on finishing position, and athletes who accumulate enough points qualify for the two-day Diamond League Final — the 15th and final meet of the season. Along with bigger prize money, athletes also compete for the title of Diamond League champion.

How are points awarded?

When an athlete competes at a Diamond League meet, points are awarded according to their finishing position:

1st place: 8 points

2nd place: 7 points

3rd place: 6 points

4th place: 5 points

5th place: 4 points

6th place: 3 points

7th place: 2 points

8th place: 1 point

Athletes aim to collect enough points to qualify for the Diamond League Final and compete for the overall season title.

Qualification spots for the final vary by discipline:

For 100m to 800m events, the top eight-point scorers qualify

For 1,500m and long-distance events, the top 10 qualify

For field events, the top six qualify

Prize money

The Diamond League will offer a total prize purse of $9.24 million USD this season.

Prize money is entirely gender-equal, with identical payouts for men’s and women’s events across all disciplines.

Diamond League series meeting prize money

1st place: $10,000

2nd place: $6,000

3rd place: $4,000

4th place: $3,000

5th place: $2,500

6th place: $2,000

7th place: $1,500

8th place: $1,000

Diamond League Final prize money

1st place: $30,000

2nd place: $12,000

3rd place: $7,000

4th place: $4,000

5th place: $2,500

6th place: $2,000

7th place: $1,500

8th place: $1,000