The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships have commenced in Budapest, bringing together many of the sport's leading names for three days of intense competition. The event, designed to conclude the 2026 outdoor track season, is being held at Budapest's National Athletics Centre.
Among the anticipated highlights are the men’s 1500m battle, featuring rivals Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr, and the women’s 800m, where Keely Hodgkinson is set to compete against Audrey Werro. The championship is a new concept intended to fill the void in non-Olympic or World Championship years.
World Athletics has announced a record prize pot of $10m (£7.3m) for the championships, with individual event winners set to receive $150,000 (£110,000). The competition format includes two semi-finals for sprint and hurdle events, with the top four progressing to the final, while middle-distance races, relays, and all field events will be straight finals.
For fans in the UK, all three days of action will be broadcast live by the BBC. The first two days will be shown on BBC Two, with Sunday night's session moving to BBC One. All sessions will also be available for streaming on iPlayer.