The London Athletics Meet, formerly known as the London Grand Prix and subsequently as the Anniversary Games and London Diamond League, is an annual athletics event held in London, England. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the Diamond League. From 1997 through 2005 the meetings were known as the British Grand Prix, before that name reverted to the meetings usually held in Gateshead and Birmingham.

As the London Grand Prix, until 2012 most editions were held at the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace. The 2013 edition was renamed the Anniversary Games as it took place at the Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, exactly one year after the Olympic Games were held in the same venue. It was followed by an IPC London Grand Prix, making it a three-day event. In 2014 the meet was held in Glasgow, Scotland, as preparation for the Commonwealth Games held there later that month.

Editions The event has been sponsored by a variety of companies including Peugeot, Norwich Union, Sainsbury's and Müller.

+ London Athletics Meet editions Meeting Series Date Sponsor 1–25International Games1953–1977 1978 British Games23 Aug 1978Rotary WatchesCOMPILATION NOTES GBRathletics. Retrieved on 2013-03-08. 1979 British Games31 Aug 1979 1980 British Games27 Jun 1980Talbot 1981 British Games31 Jul 1981 1982 British Games20 Aug 1982 1983 British Games15 Jul 1983 1984 British Games13 Jul 1984Peugeot / Talbot 1985 London Grand Prix1985 IAAF Grand Prix19 Jul 1985 1986 London Grand Prix1986 IAAF Grand Prix11 Jul 1986 1987 London Grand Prix1987 IAAF Grand Prix10 Jul 1987 1988 London Grand Prix1988 IAAF Grand Prix8 Jul 1988 1989 London Grand Prix1989 IAAF Grand Prix14 Jul 1989Royal Mail / Peugeot 1990 London Grand Prix1990 IAAF Grand Prix20 Jul 1990Parcelforce 1991 London Grand Prix1991 IAAF Grand Prix12 Jul 1991 1992 London Grand Prix1992 IAAF Grand Prix10 Jul 1992TSB 1993 London Grand Prix1993 IAAF Grand Prix23 Jul 1993 1994 London Grand Prix1994 IAAF Grand Prix I15 Jul 1994 1995 London Grand Prix1995 IAAF Grand Prix I7 Jul 1995KP Nuts 1996 London Grand Prix1996 IAAF Grand Prix I12 Jul 1996Securicor 1997 Sheffield Grand Prix1997 IAAF Grand Prix I29 Jun 1997 1998 Sheffield Grand Prix1998 IAAF Grand Prix I2 Aug 1998none 1999 London Grand Prix1999 IAAF Grand Prix I7 Aug 1999CGU 2000 London Grand Prix2000 IAAF Grand Prix I5 Aug 2000Norwich Union 2001 London Grand Prix2001 IAAF Grand Prix I22 Jul 2001 2002 London Grand Prix2002 IAAF Grand Prix I23 Aug 2002 2003 London Grand Prix2003 IAAF Super Grand Prix8 Aug 2003 2004 London Grand Prix2004 IAAF Super Grand Prix30 Jul 2004 2005 London Grand Prix2005 IAAF Super Grand Prix22 Jul 2005 2006 London Grand Prix2006 IAAF Super Grand Prix28 Jul 2006 2007 London Grand Prix2007 IAAF Super Grand Prix3 Aug 2007 2008 London Grand Prix2008 IAAF Super Grand Prix25–26 Jul 2008Aviva 2009 London Grand Prix2009 IAAF Super Grand Prix24–25 Jul 2009 2010 London Grand Prix2010 Diamond League13–14 Aug 2010 2011 London Grand Prix2011 Diamond League5–6 Aug 2011 2012 London Grand Prix2012 Diamond League13–14 Jul 2012 2013 Anniversary Games2013 Diamond League26–27 Jul 2013Sainsbury's 2014 Glasgow Grand Prix2014 Diamond League11–12 Jul 2014 2015 Anniversary Games2015 Diamond League24–25 Jul 2015 2016 Anniversary Games2016 Diamond League22–23 Jul 2016Müller 2017 Anniversary Games2017 Diamond League9 Jul 2017 2018 Anniversary Games2018 Diamond League21–22 Jul 2018 2019 Anniversary Games2019 Diamond League20–21 Jul 2019 2020: Meet canceled due to COVID-19 2021 Anniversary Games2021 Diamond League13 Jul 2021Müller 2022 Birmingham Diamond League2022 Diamond League21 May 2022 2023 London Athletics Meet2023 Diamond League23 Jul 2023 2024 London Athletics Meet2024 Diamond League20 Jul 2024 2025 London Athletics Meet2025 Diamond League19 Jul 2025Novuna 2026 London Athletics Meet2026 Diamond League18 Jul 2026Novuna

Venues +Venues for the London Athletics MeetYearsVenueRegionCountry1953–1963??England1964–1996, 1999–2012National Sports CentreCrystal Palace, LondonEngland1997–1998Don Valley StadiumSheffieldEngland2013, 2015–2019, 2023–2026London StadiumStratford, LondonEngland2014Hampden ParkMount Florida, GlasgowScotland2021Gateshead International StadiumGatesheadEngland2022Alexander StadiumBirminghamEngland

Emsley Carr Mile The Emsley Carr Mile remains a fixture at the annual meeting, with a history spanning back to 1953 at the White City Stadium. Emsley Carr, an athletics fan and the editor of The News of the World, created an annual mile race in the hope that the first four-minute mile would be achieved on British soil. Gordon Pirie won the first race, but Roger Bannister had run under 4 minutes in Oxford by time that the second race was competed. However, the tradition continued, with the winner signing his name in a red leather-bound book identical to the Bible used in Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. Derek Ibbotson achieved the first sub-4-minute run at the race in 1956, and many of the best middle-distance runners have won at the Emsley Carr Mile since, including Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Hicham El Guerrouj.Powell, David (2003-08-07). Emsley Carr Mile stands test of time. The Times. Retrieved on 2009-07-31.

Millicent Fawcett Mile The Millicent Fawcett Mile, a women's race, was first held in the 2018 Anniversary Games and won by Sifan Hassan in 4:14.71. It commemorates suffragist Millicent Fawcett. There had been a women's mile event at previous games, without this title, the previous record being held by Hellen Obiri who ran in 2017 in 4:16.56.

History In 2009 pole vault favourite Yelena Isinbayeva lost for the first time in 18 competitions, beaten by Anna Rogowska. Kate Dennison set an eighth British record in the pole vault.Brown, Matthew (2009-07-24). Against the wind Bolt blasts 9.91, Isinbayeva's win streak halted at 18 – London Day 1 – IAAF World Athletics Tour. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-07-25.

On 24 January 2013 it was announced that London Grand Prix would be moved to the Olympic Stadium for 2013. The London Legacy Development Corporation had expressed interest in holding an athletics event at the stadium to coincide with the first anniversary of the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics. After the 2013 event, a return to Crystal Palace was ruled out as according to Ed Warner it would be a backward step.

Hampden Park, which was due to host the athletics events at the Commonwealth Games and a temporary venue in Horse Guards Parade and the Mall, were mooted for the 2014 edition, before a return to the Olympic Stadium in 2015 due to a gap in the reconstruction schedule. A four-year sponsorship deal with Sainsbury's was announced in January 2014.http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/media/news/2014-news-page/january-2014/01-01-14-sainsburys-sponsorship/ In February 2014 it was confirmed that the Grand Prix event would move to Hampden Park and be known as the Glasgow Grand Prix. The event returned to London in 2015 and continued to be known as the Anniversary Games until 2021.

The 2021 event, due to be held on 13 July, was moved away from London Stadium to Gateshead International Stadium due to the difficulty of reconfiguring the stadium for a single athletics event.

World records Over the course of its history, a number of world records have been set at the London Grand Prix.

+World records set at the London Athletics MeetYearEventRecordAthleteNationality19865:28.692004Pole vault4.90 m2005Pole vault4.96 mPole vault5.00 m201612.20 201825.9316.8010:43.84202314:16.54 2026Mile3:42.66Josh Kerr

Meeting records

Men

+Men's meeting records of the London Athletics Meet EventRecordAthleteNationalityDatePlaceVideo100 m9.78 Tyson Gay13 August 2010Crystal Palace200 m19.47 Noah Lyles23 July 2023Stratford400 m43.74Matthew Hudson-Smith20 July 2024Stratford800 m1:42.00Emmanuel Wanyonyi19 July 2025Stratford1000 m2:14.15Abdi Bile14 July 1989Crystal Palace1500 m3:27.62Josh Kerr18 July 2026StratfordMile3:42.66 WRJosh Kerr18 July 2026Stratford3000 m7:27.64Mohamed Katir13 July 2021GatesheadTwo miles8:01.72Haile Gebrselassie7 August 1999Crystal Palace5000 m12:55.51Haile Gebrselassie30 July 2004Crystal Palace10,000 m27:20.38Aloÿs Nizigama7 July 1995Crystal Palace110 m hurdles12.89 Ja'Kobe Tharp18 July 2026Stratford400 m hurdles46.61Karsten Warholm18 July 2026Stratford3000 m steeplechase8:06.86Brimin Kiprop Kipruto27 July 2013StratfordHigh jump2.41 mJavier Sotomayor15 July 1994Crystal PalacePole vault6.03 mRenaud Lavillenie25 July 2015StratfordLong jump8.58 m Luvo Manyonga22 July 2018StratfordTriple jump17.78 m Christian Taylor22 July 2016StratfordShot put23.07 mRyan Crouser23 July 2023StratfordDiscus throw71.70 mMykolas Alekna19 July 2025StratfordHammer throw85.60 mYuriy Sedykh13 July 1984Crystal PalaceJavelin throw90.81 mSteve Backley22 July 2001Crystal PalaceMile walk (track)5:31.08Tom Bosworth9 July 2017Stratford3000 m walk (track)10:43.84Tom Bosworth21 July 2018Stratford4 × 100 m relay37.60Chijindu UjahZharnel HughesRichard KiltyNethaneel Mitchell-Blake21 July 2019Stratford37.46Racers Track ClubDaniel BaileyYohan BlakeMario ForsytheUsain Bolt /25 July 2009Crystal Palace

Women

+Women's meeting records of the London Athletics Meet EventRecordAthleteNationalityDatePlace100 m10.75 Marie-Josée Ta Lou23 July 2023Stratford200 m21.66 Julien Alfred18 July 2026Stratford400 m48.57Nickisha Pryce20 July 2024Stratford800 m1:54.61Keely Hodgkinson20 July 2024Stratford1000 m2:34.73Paula Ivan14 July 1989Crystal Palace1500 m3:54.75Gudaf Tsegay19 July 2025StratfordMile4:11.88Gudaf Tsegay19 July 2025Stratford2000 m5:28.69Maricica Puică11 July 1986Crystal Palace3000 m8:21.64Sonia O'Sullivan15 July 1994Crystal Palace5000 m14:12.29Gudaf Tsegay23 July 2023Stratford100 m hurdles12.20 Kendra Harrison22 July 2016Stratford400 m hurdles51.30 Femke Bol20 July 2024Stratford3000 m steeplechase8:57.35Jackline Chepkoech23 July 2023StratfordHigh jump2.05 mKajsa Bergqvist28 July 2006Crystal PalacePole vault5.00 mYelena Isinbayeva22 July 2005Crystal PalaceLong jump7.09 m Malaika Mihambo21 May 2022BirminghamTriple jump15.27 m Yamilé Aldama8 August 2003Crystal PalaceShot put20.90 mValerie Adams27 July 2013StratfordDiscus throw71.72 m Cierra Jackson18 July 2026StratfordJavelin throw72.98 m (old design)Fatima Whitbread10 July 1987Crystal Palace68.26 m (current design)Barbora Špotáková9 July 2017Stratford4 × 100 m relay41.55 Dina Asher-SmithImani LansiquotAmy HuntDaryll Neita20 July 2024Stratford

Notes

References

External links

Diamond League – London Official Web Site