Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen supplied a major dose of final lap drama, while Team USA’s Masai Russell reigned supreme again in the hurdles and Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis soared above all to victory during a high-energy first night at the inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Friday.
Even with slightly chilly conditions inside of National Athletics Centre the intensity delivered, with Ingebrigtsen pulling off a daring effort from behind to win the men’s 5,000m title in 12:59.24. In a stacked field where he held stead through most of the 12 laps, Ingebrigtsen broke free in the final 200 meters after slipping away from Ethiopia’s Biniam Mehary, Australia’s Ky Robinson and Team USA’s Parker Wolfe Nico Young.
Ingebrigtsen then took the final turn from the outside and kicked on the final 100 meters to open a sizable gap and grab the win. Cole Hocker surged to take second in 13:00.05 and Wolfe was third in 13:00.13.
This is amazing. I am extremely happy,” Ingebrigtsen. “I felt really good running today but it was very difficult to have control over my competitors and that is why I tried running as fast as I could. I was hoping no one would run next to my shoulder. This victory is truly amazing. I am really grateful to my team I had around me. They made sure I am able to put myself in a great position every day and it was definitely a team effort.”
Russell capped her magical season with a defiant 12.22 victory in the women’s 100m hurdles in a fitting win in a year where she found world record magic. Despite a slow start out of the blocks, Russell recovered and bolted past The Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton on the final three barriers. Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan was second in 12.34 while Nadine Visser took third in 12.39 for The Netherlands.
“Coming back here after hitting the hurdle in 2023 and now being the Ultimate champion for me it is a way to rewrite the story here,” Russell said. “I left here very sad three years ago, it was my first World Championships and now to be a record holder, Olympic champion, Diamond League record holder, with all of these records and accolades, and then to do it at the Ultimate Championships on the same track, it just shows all the work.”
The men’s 110 meter hurdles came down to a photo finish as Team USA’s Ja’Kobe Tharp barely inched past teammate Cordell Tinch with a 12.94 win in lean that proved to be the title-clinching move. Tinch took second in 12.95 while fellow American Bradley Franklin was third in 13.01.
“If I had lost this race, it would be the only championship that I have lost this year,” Tharp said. “I ran as hard as I could from the last hurdle to the finish line to get my way. When I came to the stadium, I just tried to be more aggressive and that was a pretty nice race. Looking back on this season, I think I am a really blessed guy. I have a great support staff that have been pushing me and keeping me healthy through this whole process.”
Meanwhile, Duplantis delivered in his role as headliner as he leaped to a 6.20m win in the men’s pole vault while also flirting with a shot at shattering his own world record.
After being pushed well past 6 meters by Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis, Duplantis put the showdown out of reach and soaked in the energy of the crowd as he locked in for a chance at a new record with a 6.23m try. But following three tries and clipping the bar each time, Duplantis conceded and took the win. Karalis was second in 6.15m while Norway’s Sondre Guttormsen took third in 5.95m.
“I approached this event with a combination of a lot of nerves and excitement,” Duplantis said. “This was a missing piece for me to become the Ultimate champion. With Manolo, I just want to give a huge shout-out to him and his team, and give a big hats-off for what they accomplished throughout this year. Pole vault is always the most exciting event out there but it is totally different now.”
2026 Ultimate Championship Results – Day 1
Mixed 4x100m Relay
1. Team USA – 39.64
2. Jamaica – 39.72
3. Great Britain & NI – 40.26
Women’s High Jump
1. Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukraine) – 1.99m
2. Nicola Olyslagers (Australia) – 1.95m
3. Eleanor Patterson (Australia) – 1.91m
Men’s Hammer Throw
1. Merlin Hummel (Germany) – 81.46m
2. Bence Halász (Hungary) – 80.30m
3. Mykhaylo Kokhan (Ukraine) – 78.90m
Men’s Pole Vault
1. Mondo Duplantis (Sweden) – 6.20m
2. Emmanouil Karalis (Greece) – 6.15m
3. Sondre Guttormsen (Norway) – 5.95m
Men’s 5,000 Meters
1. Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway) – 12:59.24
2. Cole Hocker (USA) – 13:00.05
3. Parker Wolfe (USA) – 13:00.13
Women’s Long Jump
1. Larissa lapichino (Italy) – 6.90m
2. Jazmin Sawyers (Great Britain) – 6.78m
3. Alyssa Jones (USA) – 6.77m
Women’s 100 Meter Hurdles
1. Masai Russell (USA) – 12.22
2. Tobi Amusan (Nigeria) – 12.34
3. Nadine Visser (Netherlands) – 12.39
Men’s 110 Meter Hurdles
1. Ja’Kobe Tharp (USA) – 12.94
2. Cordell Tinch (USA) – 12.95
3. Bradley Franklin (USA) – 13.01
