The IAAF Golden League was an annual series of outdoor track and field meetings organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Athletes who won specific events at all of the series meetings were awarded a jackpot prize, sometimes given in gold bars, which inspired the series name. The competition began with seven meetings and it lasted for twelve years as the IAAF's top tier of one-day meetings. Within the IAAF's global circuit, athletes received additional points for their performances at the Golden League for the IAAF Grand Prix (1998–2002),thumb|The [[Olympiastadion (Berlin)|Olympiastadion in Berlin, which hosted the ISTAF Berlin]]The origins of the Golden League trace back to the Golden Four series that ran from 1993 to 1997, comprising four top level European meetings on the IAAF Grand Prix circuit (Berlin, Brussels, Oslo, and Zürich). The first Golden League was held as the new top tier of the 1998 IAAF Grand Prix and consisted of the former Golden Four meetings, plus Rome, Monaco, and the 1998 IAAF Grand Prix Final in Moscow. From the 1999 IAAF Golden League onwards, the Meeting Gaz de France in Paris was added and the Grand Prix Final dropped. That year all meetings were scheduled for Wednesday evenings in order to improve the sport's television coverage. When the IAAF Grand Prix was succeeded by the IAAF World Outdoor Meetings series in 2003, the Monaco meeting was removed from the Golden League series and made host of the IAAF World Athletics Final instead. The Golden League meetings remained unchanged from 2003 to 2009.
Editions
{| class="wikitable sticky-header" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Edition
!Year
!Start date
!End date
!Meets
!Jackpot<br>events
!Oslo
!Rome
!Paris
!Monaco
!Zürich
!Brussels
!Berlin
!GP Final
!Series
!
|-
| 1 || 1998 () || 9 July || 1 September || 7 || 12 || 1 || 2 || || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || 1998 IAAF Grand Prix ||
|-
| 2 || 1999 () || 30 June || 7 September || 7 || 12 || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || || 1999 IAAF Grand Prix ||
|-
| 3 || 2000 () || 23 June || 1 September || 7 || 12 || 3 || 2 || 1 || 5 || 4 || 6 || 7 || || 2000 IAAF Grand Prix ||
|-
| 4 || 2001 () || 29 June || 31 August || 7 || 14 || 3 || 1 || 2 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || || 2001 IAAF Grand Prix ||
|-
| 5 || 2002 () || 28 June || 6 September || 7 || 12 || 1 || 3 || 2 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7 || || 2002 IAAF Grand Prix||
|-
| 6 || 2003 () || 27 June || 5 September || 6 || 12 || 1 || 3 || 2 || || 4 || 5 || 6 || || 2003 IAAF World Outdoor Meetings ||
|-
| 7 || 2004 () || 11 June || 12 September || 6 || 12 || 1 || 2 || 3 || || 4 || 5 || 6 || || 2004 IAAF World Outdoor Meetings ||
|-
| 8 || 2005 () || 1 July || 4 September || 6 || 11 || 3 || 2 || 1 || || 4 || 5 || 6 || || 2005 IAAF World Outdoor Meetings ||
|-
| 9 || 2006 () || 2 June || 3 September || 6 || 11 || 1 || 3 || 2 || || 4 || 5 || 6 || || 2006 IAAF World Athletics Tour ||
|-
| 10 || 2007 () || 15 June || 16 September || 6 || 10 || 1 || 3 || 2 || || 4 || 5 || 6 || || 2007 IAAF World Athletics Tour ||
|-
| 11 || 2008 () || 1 June || 5 September || 6 || 10 || 2 || 3 || 4 || || 5 || 6 || 1 || || 2008 IAAF World Athletics Tour ||
|-
| 12 || 2009 () || 14 June || 4 September || 6 || 10 || 2 || 3 || 4 || || 5 || 6 || 1 || || 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour ||
|}
Meetings
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; float:center;"
|-
!# !! Meeting !! Arena !! City !! Country
!1998!!1999!!2000!!2001!!2002!!2003!!2004!!2005!!2006!!2007!!2008!!2009
|-
| 12
|align=left|Bislett Games
|align=left|Bislett Stadium
|align=left|Oslo
|align=left|Norway
|• || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || •
|-
| 12
|align=left|Weltklasse Zürich
|align=left|Letzigrund
|align=left|Zürich
|align=left|Switzerland
|• || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || •
|-
| 12
|align=left|Memorial Van Damme
|align=left|King Baudouin Stadium
|align=left|Brussels
|align=left|Belgium
|• || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || •
|-
| 12
|align=left|ISTAF Berlin
|align=left|Olympiastadion
|align=left|Berlin
|align=left|Germany
|• || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || •
|-
| 12
|align=left|Golden Gala
|align=left|Stadio Olimpico
|align=left|Rome
|align=left|Italy
|• || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || •
|-
| 11
|align=left|Meeting Areva
|align=left|Stade de France
|align=left|Paris
|align=left|France
| || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || • || •
|-
| 5
|align=left|Herculis
|align=left|Stade Louis II
|align=left|Fontvieille
|align=left|Monaco
|• || • || • || • || • || || || || || || ||
|-
| 1
|align=left|IAAF Grand Prix Final
|align=left|Luzhniki Stadium
|align=left|Moscow
|align=left|Russia
|• || || || || || || || || || || ||
|}
- In 2004, the Bislett Games were moved from Oslo to the Fana Stadion in Bergen due to the redevelopment of the Bislett Stadium. The renovation was a requirement to its maintaining Golden League status.
From 2006 onwards, the jackpot events were set to five men's events and five women's events, ensuring gender equality. The award structure was also changed in 2006 so that athletes who won any five of the six events shared in a purse of US$250,000, while the remaining US$750,000 would be divided among athletes who won all six meetings. This was to a response to the fact that only four athletes shared in the jackpot in the three previous seasons. From 2007 onwards, the jackpot was again only shared amongst athletes who won at all six meetings.thumb|right|Hurdles at the [[Bislett Games, one of the Golden League meets]]
Events
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:80%; text-align:center; float:center;" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" width="95%"
|+Men
|-
!width=120px| Event
! 1998
! 1999
! 2000
! 2001
! 2002
! 2003
! 2004
! 2005
! 2006
! 2007
! 2008
! 2009
! Total
! Winners
|-
| 100 m ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| Greene ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| Powell ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 10 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| 2
|-
| 200 m || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || || || || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || || || || || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 2 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8|-
|-
| 400 m ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || || || || || || || ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| Wariner || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 4 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| 2
|-
| 800 m || ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| Kipketer || ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| Bucher || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || || || || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 5 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| 2
|-
| 1500 m/Mile ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| El Guerrouj || ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| El Guerrouj ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| El Guerrouj ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| El Guerrouj || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 9 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| 4
|-
| 3000 m/5000 m || || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || || ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| Bekele|| || ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| Bekele ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 6 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| 2
|-
| 5000 m/10,000 m ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| Gebrselassie || || || || || || || || || || || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 1 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| 1
|-
| 110 m hurdles || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| Johnson || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 6 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| 1
|-
| 400 m hurdles ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| Sánchez || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || || || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 5 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| 1
|-
| 3000 m s'chase || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || || || || || || || || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 2 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8|-
|-
| High jump || || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || || || || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || || || || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 2 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8|-
|-
| Pole vault ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || || || || || || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| 5 ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8|-
|-
| Long jump || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || ||bgcolor=#CCFFCC| || || || || ||bgcolor=#F7F6A8| Saladino
|-
| 800 metres
| 800 metres
|-
| 5000 metres
| 3000 metres
|-
| 110 metres hurdles
| 400 metres hurdles
|-
| 3000 metres steeplechase
|
|-
| long jump
| high jump
|-
| pole vault
|
|-
| javelin throw
|
|-
|rowspan=8|1999
|200 metres
|200 metres
|rowspan=8|13
|rowspan=8|
|-
|-
|800 metres
|800 metres
|-
|5000 metres
|3000 metres
|-
|110 metres hurdles
|400 metres hurdles
|-
|3000 metres steeplechase
|high jump
|-
|long jump
|
|-
| pole vault
|
|-
| javelin throw
|
|-
|rowspan=7|2000
|100 metres
|100 metres
|rowspan=7|12
|rowspan=7|
|-
|1500 metres
|1500 metres
|-
|3000 metres
|
|-
|400 metres hurdles
|100 metres hurdles
|-
|high jump
|long jump
|-
|pole vault
|
|-
|shot put
|javelin throw
|-
|rowspan=8|2001
|100 metres
|100 metres
|rowspan=8|14
|rowspan=8|
|-
| 800 metres
| 800 metres
|-
| 1500 metres
| 1500 metres
|-
| 3000 metres
| 3000 metres
|-
| 3000 metres steeplechase
|
|-
| 110 metres hurdles
| 400 metres hurdles
|-
| long jump
| high jump
|-
| javelin throw
|
|-
|rowspan=7|2002
|100 metres
|100 metres
|rowspan=7|12
|rowspan=7|
|-
|
| 400 metres
|-
| 1500 metres
| 1500 metres
|-
| 3000 metres/5000 metres
| 3000 metres/5000 metres
|-
| 400 metres hurdles
| 100 metres hurdles
|-
| pole vault
|
|-
| triple jump
| javelin throw
|-
|rowspan=7|2003
|100 metres
|100 metres
|rowspan=7|12
|rowspan=7|
|-
| 800 metres
| 800 metres
|-
| 3000 metres/5000 metres
| 1500 metres
|-
| 110 metres hurdles
| 400 metres hurdles
|-
| pole vault
| triple jump
|-
|
| high jump
|-
| javelin throw
|
|-
|rowspan=7|2004
|200 metres
|100 metres
|rowspan=7|12
|rowspan=7|
|-
| 800 metres
| 400 metres
|-
| 1500 metres
| 1500 metres
|-
|
| 3000 metres/5000 metres
|-
| 400 metres hurdles
| 100 metres hurdles
|-
| triple jump
| high jump
|-
| discus throw
|
|-
|rowspan=6|2005
|100 metres
|100 metres
|rowspan=6|11
|rowspan=6|
|-
| 800 metres
| 800 metres
|-
| 1500 metres/1 mile
| 3000 metres/5000 metres
|-
| 110 metres hurdles
| 400 metres hurdles
|-
| high jump
| triple jump
|-
| javelin throw
|
|-
|rowspan=6|2006
|100 metres
|100 metres
|rowspan=6|10
|rowspan=6|
|-
| 400 metres
| 400 metres
|-
| 5000 metres
| 5000 metres
|-
|
| 100 metres hurdles
|-
| long jump
| high jump
|-
| javelin throw
|
|-
|rowspan=6|2007
|100 metres
|100 metres
|rowspan=6|10
|rowspan=6|
|-
| 1500 metres / Mile
| 400 metres
|-
| 110 metres hurdles
| 100 metres hurdles
|-
| triple jump
| high jump
|-
|
| pole vault
|-
| javelin throw
|
|-
|rowspan=6|2008
|100 metres
|200 metres
|rowspan=6|11
|rowspan=6|
|-
| 400 metres
|
|-
| 1500 metres
| 800 metres
|-
| 400 metres hurdles
| 100 metres hurdles
|-
| long jump
| high jump
|-
| javelin throw
|
|-
|rowspan=7|2009
|100 metres
|100 metres
|rowspan=7|10
|rowspan=7|
|-
| 400 metres
| 400 metres
|-
| 3000 metres/5000 metres
|
|-
| 110 metres hurdles
| 100 metres hurdles
|-
|
| high jump
|-
|
| pole vault
|-
| javelin throw
|
|}