Budapest has welcomed some of the biggest names in athletics as the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship got underway, with Prime Minister Péter Magyar joining athletics legend Usain Bolt and World Athletics president Sebastian Coe for the official opening.
Usain Bolt arrives in Budapest for new athletics spectacle
The three-day competition is being held at the Gyula Zsivótzky National Athletics Centre from 11 to 13 September, bringing together some of the world’s top athletes for a new-style global championship.
Magyar shared a photo on Facebook from the opening ceremony with Bolt, the eight-time Olympic champion, 11-time world champion and world record holder. Bolt is in Hungary as an ambassador for the event and is also attending the competition in person.
The Prime Minister wrote that he had welcomed the athletics legend to Budapest for the first-ever World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
The event is designed to present athletics in a new format, combining elite competition with a more spectacular presentation aimed at attracting audiences beyond the sport’s traditional fan base.
One event at a time, with a USD 10 million prize pool
According to Blikk, one of the biggest changes is the competition format. Rather than several events taking place simultaneously around the stadium, only one event will be held at a time, allowing spectators and viewers to focus entirely on the athletes competing.
The stadium itself has also undergone a striking transformation. The traditional red running track is complemented by a black competition surface, LED strips and extensive lighting effects, creating an atmosphere closer to a concert venue than a conventional athletics meeting.
The stakes are equally eye-catching. A total of USD 10 million will be distributed among the athletes, with each winner set to receive USD 150,000.
There will also be no traditional medals for the podium finishers. Only the winner of each event will receive a trophy, reflecting the organisers’ aim of putting the spotlight firmly on the athlete who reaches the top.
Sebastian Coe said the decision to abandon traditional medals was deliberate, arguing that the new global championship is about determining who is the single best athlete in each event.
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New rules promise a different kind of competition
The Budapest championship also introduces several unusual rules. In the 200-metre final, athletes can choose their lane based on their world ranking. In the high jump and pole vault, ties for first place must be settled through a jump-off, ensuring that every event has a single winner.
The organisers have also introduced changes aimed at making controversial judging decisions more transparent. Appeals must be resolved before the television broadcast window closes, while major decisions will be announced inside the stadium. Spectators will also be able to watch replays of disputed moments on the big screen.
Broadcasts will feature another new element, with viewers able to see the competitors’ chances of winning the overall title based on the results as the competition progresses.
We wrote about the championship in detail earlier: Budapest is about to host an athletics event unlike any before – $10 million in prize money and no medals
Hungarian athletes among the global stars
Hungary is also represented at the championship, including by Olympic sprinter Boglárka Takács, who will compete in the newly introduced mixed 4×100-metre relay. Takács will race alongside Zita Szentgyörgyi, Lili Brucker, Krisztián Kalics, Dominik Pázmándi, Ábel Takács and Apor Jakab in the unusual event.
Meanwhile, the international field includes Swedish pole-vault superstar Mondo Duplantis, who will compete for the Absolute Champion title on the opening night. He is also set to perform the official anthem of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship during Sunday’s closing ceremony.
The event runs from 11 to 13 September at the Gyula Zsivótzky National Athletics Centre.
