Inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships Kicks Off in Budapest
UKPulse Sport Desk
The first World Athletics Ultimate Championships begins in Budapest today, featuring top athletes and a significant prize pot.
- The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships runs from Friday 11 September to Sunday 13 September 2026.
- The event will take place at Budapest's National Athletics Centre, with three-hour sessions each evening.
- The competition offers a record prize pot of $10 million (£7.3 million), with individual winners receiving $150,000 (£110,000).
The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships is set to commence today in Budapest, bringing the 2026 outdoor track season to a close. The new competition aims to gather the sport's biggest names for three days of action at the National Athletics Centre.
Among the anticipated highlights is the men's 1500m battle, featuring rivals Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr, both of whom received wildcards to ensure their participation. Other Olympic champions from Paris, gold medallists from last year's World Championships in Tokyo, 2026 Diamond League winners, and athletes within the top 12 of World Athletics rankings have qualified.
The event, designed to be fast-paced, includes semi-finals for sprint and hurdle events, with the top four progressing to the finals. Middle-distance races, relays, and all field events will be straight finals. World Athletics has announced a record prize pot of $10 million (£7.3 million) for the championships, with individual event winners set to receive $150,000 (£110,000).
Why this matters: This new competition is intended to fill the void in non-Olympic or World Championship years, pitting top athletes against each other for the biggest prize pot in track and field.
What this means for you: Fans in the UK can watch all three days of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships live on the BBC, with coverage on BBC Two for the first two days and BBC One for Sunday night's session. All action will also be available to stream on iPlayer.