The European Athletics Championships 2028 are set to bring a major financial boost for athletes, with European Athletics announcing a record €3.5 million prize fund for the competition in Silesia, Poland. The new prize-money structure will reward athletes finishing in the top eight in every event, marking a significant change from the system used at recent championships.
The announcement comes as athletics continues to place greater emphasis on improving the financial rewards available to elite competitors. With athletes facing demanding training schedules, travel costs and increasingly competitive professional calendars, prize money has become an important part of the sport’s wider conversation.
For the Silesia 2028 European Athletics Championships, the money will not be limited to medal winners. Athletes who reach the top eight of their event will receive a payment, creating a broader financial reward system across the championship.
European athletics championships 2028 prize money explained
The gold medallist in each event will receive €30,000, while the silver medallist will earn €15,000 and the bronze medallist will take home €10,000.
There will also be money for athletes finishing outside the medal positions. Fourth place will receive €5,000, fifth place €4,000, sixth place €3,000, seventh place €2,000 and eighth place €1,000.
That means the prize-money structure for each event will look like this:
| Position | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Gold | €30,000 |
| Silver | €15,000 |
| Bronze | €10,000 |
| 4th | €5,000 |
| 5th | €4,000 |
| 6th | €3,000 |
| 7th | €2,000 |
| 8th | €1,000 |
The eight finishing positions together account for €70,000 per event. Across 50 events, that produces the announced €3.5 million total prize fund.
The change is particularly notable because it gives athletes a financial reward simply for reaching the final and finishing among the top eight. It also means the system recognises strong performances beyond the traditional medal positions.
For many athletes, that could make a difference. Finishing fourth or fifth at a major championship can represent an outstanding sporting performance, even though it does not result in a medal. Under the new Silesia system, those athletes will receive direct financial recognition.
How the 2028 system differs from Birmingham
The decision represents a clear change from the prize-money model used at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
At Birmingham 2026, prize money was not automatically paid according to finishing position across every event. Instead, the championship used a separate performance-based approach. The concept of performance bonuses had already been introduced at the 2024 European Championships in Rome, when €500,000 was allocated to 10 bonuses of €50,000 based on World Athletics scoring tables.
The Silesia 2028 model takes a different approach by establishing a standard payment for the top eight in all events.
That could make the system easier for athletes and fans to understand. Rather than waiting to see which performances qualify for an additional bonus, competitors will know before the championship what financial reward is attached to each finishing position.
The 2026 Birmingham championships also produced a strong performance from Great Britain and Northern Ireland, who finished with 19 medals, including nine golds. The official European Athletics results show Britain and Northern Ireland second in the medal table with nine gold, eight silver and two bronze medals.
However, the new structure means athletes at Silesia 2028 will have another incentive to push for every available position, including places immediately outside the podium.
Athletics is becoming more valuable for its biggest stars
The bigger prize fund at the European Championships arrives during a period when major athletics competitions are increasing their financial rewards.
The most striking recent example is the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, which was held in Budapest from 11 to 13 September 2026. World Athletics introduced the new event with a US$10 million prize pot, described by the governing body as the largest prize fund in the history of track and field. Individual event winners received US$150,000, while second and third place received US$75,000 and US$40,000 respectively.
The Budapest event featured 28 disciplines and brought together Olympic champions, world champions, Diamond League winners and other leading performers. World Athletics confirmed after the event that every athlete competing received a share of the US$10 million prize pot.
That wider trend helps explain why the European Athletics Championships are also moving towards a more substantial prize-money structure.
For athletes, however, prize money is only one part of their overall earnings. Sponsorship agreements, appearance fees, national federation support, professional contracts and bonuses can also play major roles in determining an athlete’s income.
Still, a guaranteed payment at a continental championship provides another direct financial reward for performance.
What Silesia 2028 means for athletes
The biggest change is simple: every top-eight finish will have a financial value.
An athlete who wins European gold will receive €30,000, but someone finishing fourth will also leave the championships with €5,000. Even eighth place will bring €1,000.
That could be particularly important for athletes who are still building their professional careers. A final appearance at a major championship requires years of preparation, and the new structure ensures that reaching the top eight is not recognised only through rankings or diplomas.
It also creates a straightforward target for competitors. Once an athlete reaches a final, every position could have a direct financial consequence.
European Athletics’ decision reflects the changing economics of elite sport. Athletics has traditionally relied heavily on sponsorships, meeting appearance fees and federation support, while championship prize money has varied considerably between competitions.
The €3.5 million Silesia 2028 fund therefore represents a significant step towards making championship performances financially rewarding across the field.
The European Athletics Championships remain one of the most important competitions on the continental calendar, and the new prize structure adds another storyline to watch when athletes arrive in Poland.
For fans, medals will remain the main measure of success. For athletes, however, the fight for every place from first through eighth will now carry an additional financial reward.
As the sport continues to evolve, Silesia 2028 could become an important example of how major athletics championships can put more money directly into the hands of the competitors who provide the action.
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