Details of new World Athletics event featuring a Ksh1.3 billion prize purse
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 12.05.25. | 06:49
The event is designed to be the climax of the athletics season, and will be held every two years, slotting perfectly between the Olympic and World Championship years
Track and field fans are in for some mouthwatering action after World Athletics launched the 2026 Ultimate Championship.
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This is a high-stakes, fast-paced global event that promises to redefine the athletics calendar. The event runs from Friday, 11 to Sunday, 13 September 2026, in Budapest, Hungary.
The competition has a jaw-dropping total prize purse of $10 million (approximately Ksh1.29 billion). Yes, you read that right. This is the largest prize money purse in the history of the sport.
What makes it ultimate?
Unlike the traditional format of multi-day meets, the Ultimate Championship will be a three-day showdown, with each evening session running under three hours.
That means pure adrenaline: no heats, no drawn-out schedules, just semifinals and finals, with only 16 of the world's best athletes per event earning the right to compete.
The event is designed to be the climax of the athletics season and will be held every two years, slotting perfectly between the Olympic and World Championship years.
Selection process
The selection process is based on world rankings, ensuring that the crème de la crème—Olympic champions, world champions, Wanda Diamond League winners, and top-ranked performers—will line up against each other.
According to World Athletics, 26 reigning Olympic champions have already qualified.
For Kenyan fans, there’s even more reason to celebrate. Olympic gold medalists Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi are among the first confirmed stars for the 2026 edition.
Events to watch
The program spans sprints, middle- and long-distance races, relays, jumps, and throws. Specifically, fans can expect action in:
Track events: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 100/110m hurdles, 400m hurdles
Field events: pole vault, high jump, long jump, javelin, women’s triple jump, and men’s hammer throw
Relays: mixed 4x100m and 4x400m
While most events will begin with semifinals, the 1500m, 5000m, and all relays will go straight to finals, meaning that athletes will only have a single shot at glory.
Winners will walk away with $150,000, approximately Ksh19.5 million.
What makes it different from the Diamond Leagues?
In a notable shift from Diamond League formats, where athletes compete in branded kits, the Ultimate Championship will be nation-based, with competitors representing their countries, bringing back the patriotic flair typically reserved for the Olympics and World Championships.
Aside from its record-breaking $150,000 gold medal reward, the Ultimate Championship is being hailed by World Athletics as a groundbreaking new global show that will deliver elite competition in a short, sharp, and intense format.
Budapest was awarded hosting rights after staging a successful World Championships in 2023.
