World Athletics, the global governing body for track and field, announced a new global competition with a large prize pot: The Ultimate Championship.
This new event is scheduled to hold its inaugural event in 2026 at the end of the outdoor season, “designed as the ultimate season finale,” per a World Athletics press release. The initial plan is for the competition to take place every two years, and will include three evening sessions of sprints, middle and long-distance races, relays, jumps, and throws. Each session will hold semi-finals and finals for track disciplines, and straight finals for field disciplines. Budapest has been announced as the host city for the first running of the Ultimate Championship, and is scheduled for September 11-13, 2026.
It promises to, “[pit] world champions, Olympic champions, the Wanda Diamond League winners and the year’s best performing athletes against each other, to crown the ultimate champion.” The ultimate prize set at $150,000 for gold medalists, and includes of $10 million in awards. Eight to 16 of the world’s top-ranked athletes per discipline will be on the start lists, with selections based primarily on world rankings, and will include nearly 400 athletes from 70 countries.
On the announcement, World Athletics President Seb Coe said, “The World Athletics Ultimate Championship will be high on action and excitement for fans, setting a new standard for track and field events.”
With a big event with big stars and big money on the line, World Athletics is touting a big audience will be interested in tuning in, with Coe stating, “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.”
