In a landmark move poised to redefine the athletics landscape, World Athletics today announced the launch of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
This groundbreaking global event aims to crown the best of the best by pitting world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners, and the year’s top-performing athletes against each other.
Set to debut from September 11-13, 2026, in Budapest, Hungary, this biennial championship introduces a record-setting prize pot of US$10 million, the largest in track and field history, with gold medallists receiving US$150,000.
A New Era for Athletics
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship promises to be a transformative event, designed to captivate millions of television viewers worldwide. The championship will feature a thrilling and fast-moving format, condensed into three evening sessions, each under three hours.
This innovative structure will include sprints, middle and long-distance races, relays, jumps, and throws, ensuring a spectacle that both existing and new fans will eagerly anticipate.
Athletes will represent their national teams, adding a layer of national pride to individual success.
With selections based primarily on world rankings, the event will feature 8-16 of the world’s top-ranked athletes per discipline, bringing together nearly 400 athletes from about 70 countries.
Financial Rewards and Recognition
Setting a new benchmark for financial rewards, the World Athletics Ultimate Championship will offer a total prize pot of US$10 million. This underscores World Athletics’ commitment to providing athletes with greater earning opportunities and increasing their recognition.
All athletes competing at the championship will be financially rewarded, and the ultimate champions will receive US$150,000 each.
Additionally, athletes will benefit from enhanced promotional rights, allowing them to commercially activate and elevate their personal profiles.
World Athletics President Seb Coe emphasized the event’s potential for high impact:
“With only the best of the best on show and cutting straight to semi-finals and finals, we will create an immediate pressure to perform for athletes aiming to claim the title of the ultimate champion.
“The World Athletics Ultimate Championship will be high on action and excitement for fans, setting a new standard for track and field events.
“Featuring athletics’ biggest stars, it will be a must-watch global sports event and means track and field will host a major global championship in every single year, ensuring for the first time that athletics will enjoy a moment of maximum audience reach on an annual basis.”
Budapest: The Inaugural Host
Chosen following a competitive selection process, Budapest will host the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
The Hungarian capital, which recently hosted the highly successful 2023 World Athletics Championships, is set to welcome the world’s top athletes to its brand new National Athletics Centre.
Balázs Furjes, an IOC member for Hungary and previous co-leader of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 organizing committee, expressed the city’s enthusiasm:
“Budapest is truly honored to be the inaugural host city for the highly innovative World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Having successfully hosted the 2023 World Athletics Championships, recent World Aquatics Championships, major UEFA events, and many more, Budapest is ready to deliver again.
“Staging the Ultimate Championship will be a great chance to prove it again, in front of passionate, sport-loving fans, to celebrate the athletes from all over the world. Because we just love sport and hosting the world.”
Adam Schmidt, the State Secretary of Sports in Hungary, highlighted the strategic importance of the event for Hungary:
“After the success of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, Hungary started discussions with World Athletics about how we could remain active participants in the international field, adding value to the universal family of athletics.
“Hosting the inaugural edition of the Ultimate Championship is an excellent occasion to keep the pace and, together with President Coe, we have even more plans to deliver.
“These partnerships have a very positive impact on our national sport curriculum, and Hungary is always happy to welcome the world in our magnificent capital city, Budapest.”
A Vision for the Future
As preparations for this exciting new championship continue, World Athletics is engaging in extensive consultations with stakeholders, including athletes and their representatives, coaches, shoe companies, broadcast organizations, Member Federations, and more.
This collaborative approach aims to ensure the championship’s success and sustainability, with a full event launch planned for this coming autumn.
World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon emphasized the event’s potential to attract a broader audience:
“By embracing innovation and breaking away from traditional models, we are looking to reach a broader audience, particularly younger fans, and elevate the entire sport.
“There will be a strong focus on television audiences, with an aim to reach the biggest global audience possible.
“We also want to enhance the viewing experience, both at home and in the stadium, so we are looking at what new competition innovations can be introduced, all of which will be thoroughly tested in advance. We truly believe this will be a game-changer for our entire sport.”
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship promises to set a new standard for track and field events, offering unmatched excitement and financial rewards, and establishing a major global championship in athletics every single year.
Source: World Athletics
