Climbing is climbing ever higher. Present at the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games, it will also be on the program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. A fruitful period for an entire ecosystem. This is why World Climbing has announced record prize money for the 2026 season: 850,000 euros will be distributed to the athletes over the course of the World Climbing Series. The prize money has more than double compared to 2024, when the prize money reached 374,400 euros.
A budget of 20.000 euros will be allocated to each event: 6,000 euros for the winner€4.000 for second place, €2.800 for third, and up to €1.000 for eighth. This structure means that all finalists in bouldering and lead climbing, and all quarter-finalists in speed climbing, will receive prize money. For the first time, World Climbing will also award €9.000 to the overall winners of the World Climbing Series.
« The premium structure for 2026 marks a significant advance for the sport, combining increased financial support for athletes with a robust partnership model involving local organizing committees, World Climbing rejoices on its website. As the World Climbing Series continues to grow, this important step reinforces the shared ambition to organize world-class events while ensuring that that the athletes be rewarded in line with the growth of this sport. "The Series will begin in Keqiao (China) from May 1st to 3rd, and will conclude in October in Santiago (Chile).
