For the first time in many years, Indian athletes competing on the domestic circuit will have a significant financial incentive to compete for. In a move that could reshape the country’s athletics ecosystem, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has decided to introduce prize money for the winners of the inaugural Indian Athletics Series Final, scheduled for September 10 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

The decision marks one of the most significant changes to India’s domestic athletics calendar in recent years. While the amounts may be modest by international standards, rewarding athletes for performances at the national level is an important step towards making domestic competition more meaningful and professionally rewarding.

The Indian Athletics Series Final will be an invitational meet. Only athletes who qualify through the national ranking list—based on their performances during the 2026 season up to the Inter-State Championships—will be eligible to compete. All events will be conducted as direct finals, with no heats or qualifying rounds.

 

Prize money will be awarded to the top six finishers in every event:

1st: ₹1,00,000

2nd: ₹50,000

3rd: ₹25,000

4th: ₹20,000

5th: ₹15,000

6th: ₹10,000

The Indian Athletics Series was introduced this year as a revamped version of the Indian Grand Prix. Unlike its predecessor, the new circuit has been designed around regional competitions, allowing athletes to compete more frequently without travelling extensively across the country.

Although the AFI is yet to make an official announcement regarding the Indian Athletics Series Final, NNIS Sports has learned from multiple sources that the meet will feature 30 events—15 for men and 15 for women.

 

The events are:

100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m Steeplechase, 110m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, High Jump, Pole Vault, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Shot Put, Hammer Throw and Javelin Throw.

Eight athletes have qualified in each event, while the 1500m and 3000m Steeplechase will each feature 12 athletes. Four reserve athletes have also been selected for every event except the 1500m, which has two reserves, taking the total number of selected athletes—including reserves—to 372.

 

If a qualified athlete declines participation, the highest-ranked reserve will receive the invitation, subject to confirmation.

The decision also revives a practice that has largely disappeared from Indian domestic athletics.

During the 1990s, sponsor-backed National Circuit Meets regularly offered cash rewards. In 2009, the Athletics Federation of India announced prize money of around ₹15,000 for winners of the Indian Grand Prix meets held in Kochi, Coimbatore and Chennai.

Leading athletics nations have long recognised the importance of rewarding domestic excellence. Countries such as the United States, Great Britain, Japan and Kenya offer prize money at several national competitions. At the 2026 USATF Indoor Championships, for example, the top five finishers received:

1st: $6,000

2nd: $4,000

3rd: $2,500

4th: $1,500

5th: $1,000

While the financial rewards introduced by the AFI are modest compared with established athletics nations, the significance lies in the message. For perhaps the first time in over a decade, India’s domestic athletics circuit is once again recognising performance with meaningful financial rewards.

Here is the list of Athletes selected for Indian Series Final: