World Athletics Ultimate Championship
International biennial track and field sporting event
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The Ultimate Championship, aka World Athletics Ultimate Championship, is an upcoming international biennial track and field sporting event to be held by World Athletics.[1] The first edition will be held from 11 to 13 September from 2026.[2]
The inaugural edition of the three evening event will have a prize fund of US$ 10 million, with winners receiving US$ 150,000, by far the largest prize money in the sport, and will be held in Budapest, Hungary.[1][2]
World pole vault record-holder Mondo Duplantis was announced as the inaugural Ultimate Star. Duplantis mentioned he was set to showcase the sport like never before and felt excited to be a part of the championship.[3]
Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt, eight-time Olympic gold medalist and the world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay, has been announced as the ‘Ultimate Legend’, as to collaborate with World Athletics in the promotion of the new global season-ending championship in Budapest.[4]
Format
The Ultimate Championship was devised by World Athletics to ensure that the sport had a global championships for elite athletes towards the end of every track year. Unlike the primary World Athletics Championships or Olympic Games, but similar to the Diamond League final, the event consists only of direct semi finals and finals. Events will feature 8 athletes for field events, 16 athletes for individual track events and 8 teams for relays, with invitations decided by the world rankings, augmented by World and Olympic champions.[1][2]
On 22 November 2024, the list of events was announced by World Athletics. It included a new mixed 4 × 100 metres relay, not before contested at a global championship level.[5]
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Championships
| Edition | Year | City | Country | Date | Venue | No. of Events |
No. of Countries |
No. of Athletes |
Top of the medal table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2026 | Budapest |  Hungary |
11-13 September | National Athletics Centre | tbd | future event | ||
Automatic qualifiers
The following are eligible for automatic qualification to the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
Men
| Event | 2024 Olympic Champion | 2025 World Champion | 2026 Diamond League Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100m | Noah Lyles United States |
Oblique Seville Jamaica |
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| 200m | Letsile Tebogo Botswana |
Noah Lyles United States |
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| 400m | Quincy Hall United States |
Collen Kebinatshipi Botswana |
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| 800m | Emmanuel Wanyonyi Kenya |
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| 1500m | Cole Hocker United States |
Isaac Nader Portugal |
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| 5000m | Jakob Ingebrigtsen Norway |
Cole Hocker United States |
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| 110m hurdles | Grant Holloway United States |
Cordell Tinch United States |
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| 400m hurdles | Rai Benjamin United States |
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| Pole vault | Armand Duplantis Sweden |
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| High jump | Hamish Kerr New Zealand |
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| Long jump | Miltiadis Tentoglou Greece |
Mattia Furlani Italy |
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| Hammer | Ethan Katzberg Canada |
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| Javelin | Arshad Nadeem Pakistan |
Keshorn Walcott Trinidad and Tobago |
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Women
| Event | 2024 Olympic Champion | 2025 World Champion | 2026 Diamond League Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100m | Julien Alfred Saint Lucia |
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden United States |
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| 200m | Gabby Thomas United States |
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden United States |
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| 400m | Marileidy Paulino Dominican Republic |
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone United States |
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| 800m | Keely Hodgkinson Great Britain |
Lilian Odira Kenya |
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| 1500m | Faith Kipyegon Kenya |
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| 5000m | Beatrice Chebet Kenya |
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| 100m hurdles | Masai Russell United States |
Ditaji Kambundji Switzerland |
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| 400m hurdles | Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone United States |
Femke Bol Netherlands |
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| Pole vault | Nina Kennedy Australia |
Katie Moon United States |
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| High jump | Yaroslava Mahuchikh Ukraine |
Nicola Olyslagers Australia |
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| Long jump | Tara Davis-Woodhall United States |
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| Triple jump | Thea LaFond Dominica |
Leyanis Pérez Cuba |
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| Javelin | Haruka Kitaguchi Japan |
Juleisy Angulo Ecuador |
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Mixed-sex disciplines
| Event | 2024 Olympic Champion | 2025 World Champion | 2026 World Athletics Relays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mixed 4x400m relay | Eugene Omalla, Lieke Klaver, Isaya Klein Ikkink, Femke Bol, Cathelijn Peeters Netherlands |
Bryce Deadmon, Lynna Irby-Jackson, Jenoah McKiver, Alexis Holmes United States |
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| Mixed 4x100m relay | Not Contested | Not Contested |