Budapest is preparing to host the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, a brand-new global competition that will bring some of the world’s leading athletes to the Hungarian capital from 11 to 13 September.
The three-day event at the National Athletics Centre will break with the traditional World Championships format. With a record USD 10 million prize pot and some of the sport’s biggest names competing, organisers are promising a faster, higher-stakes spectacle.
Organisers have promised a compact, high-stakes format in which almost every session is packed with semi-finals and finals – and even the traditional medal ceremony has been reimagined.
World Athletics says the field will bring together Paris 2024 Olympic champions, Tokyo 2025 world champions, this year’s Diamond League winners and leading athletes from the world rankings.
The richest prize pot in athletics history
A total of USD 10 million will be distributed among the athletes, making it the largest prize fund ever offered at a single track and field event.
Winners of individual events will receive USD 150,000, while second-place finishers will earn USD 75,000 and third-place athletes USD 40,000. The winning teams in the relay events will share USD 80,000.
The competition will feature 26 individual events – 13 for men and 13 for women – as well as two mixed relay events.
Olympic champions from Paris 2024, world champions crowned in Tokyo in 2025 and this season’s Diamond League winners are among those eligible to compete. Athletes can also qualify through their world ranking, while a limited number may receive special invitations.
No gold, silver or bronze medals
One of the most unusual features of the new championship is that there will be no traditional gold, silver and bronze medals. Instead, World Athletics has designed a special trophy for each Ultimate Champion. Every participating athlete will receive a unique bracelet, which forms part of the winner’s trophy.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said the decision was intended to emphasise the championship’s central idea: identifying the single best athlete in each event rather than focusing on the traditional podium.
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What to expect in Budapest
The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship will take place at the National Athletics Centre from 11 to 13 September, with three compact evening sessions built around semifinals and finals rather than long qualification rounds.
Spectators can expect a much faster-paced format than at a traditional world championship:
- Friday, 11 September: men’s hammer, men’s pole vault, hurdles and mixed 4x100m relay
- Saturday, 12 September: the big sprint night, with both the women’s and men’s 100m
- Sunday, 13 September: 200m finals, middle-distance races and the mixed 4x400m relay
Hungarian fans will also have plenty to follow. Bence Halász is among the biggest home hopes in the hammer throw, while Boglárka Takács, Luca Kozák, Attila Molnár, Patrik Enyingi and Sára Mátó are also set to compete, alongside Hungarian teams in the mixed relays.
Tickets and venue
The championship will be held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, the same stadium that hosted the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Tickets are available through the official World Athletics Ultimate Championship website, where spectators can also check current prices and seating options.
Key information:
- Dates: 11–13 September 2026
- Venue: National Athletics Centre, Budapest
- Format: three evening sessions, focused on semifinals and finals
For Budapest, the event will mark another major international athletics weekend after the 2023 World Championships — this time in a shorter, faster format.
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Cover image: Atlétikai Világdöntő Budapest 2026 / Facebook
