World Athletics revealed on Monday that Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr were among a select group of “exceptional invitations” for the Ultimate Championship in Budapest in September.
The men’s 1,500m field will be expanded to 13 athletes to accommodate Ingebrigtsen and Kerr, who will be joined by high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi as he gets a slot in his event for the championships.
“I’m excited to race the 1,500m at the Ultimate Championship,” Kerr said. “I’ve made some choices this season that have created plenty of noise, but I’ve always wanted to prove myself in the biggest races, against the best in the world. Budapest gives me another opportunity to do that, and I’m coming to compete for the win.”
The Ultimate Championship will be held on September 11 to 13 at the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre and will differ from other track and field meets by only holding finals and some semifinals for all events.
Many of the athletes for this year’s inaugural showcase will be event winners from the 2024 Olympics, 2025 World Championship and 2026 Diamond League through an automatic qualifier, but the addition of Ingebrigtsen and Kerr means an extra jolt of star power and a true battle to the line in the men’s 1,500m.
“I love racing and I try to do as much as I can,” Ingebrigtsen said. “I’m excited to run in Budapest!”
As part of the other special invitations for the championships four Hungarian will be added to the program on behalf of their host nation (Patrik Enyingi – 400m, Luca Kozák – 100m hurdles, Sára Mátó – 400m hurdles and Boglárka Takács – 100m and 200m) two relay event have been included as well (4x100m mixed and 4x400m mixed relay). The Hungarian athletes will also be guarantee at least $1,000 for their appearances on top of any other prize payouts they win.
With the event drawing near, organizers continue to put the final touches on what they hope will be sought after destination in the years when there is no world championships or Olympics like the 2026 competition schedule.
Fans at all three days of the Ultimate Championship and viewers watching and stream will see a revamped program that focuses on broadcast, infield, experience, graphics and athlete interaction with a “show script” to maximize the live telecast window rather instead of being bound to a traditional timetable.
“We have said from the very beginning that we are doing things differently with the Ultimate Championship,” World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said when the format was announced in July. “These innovations offer a taste of how we intend to move the sport forward with this brand-new global championship, elevating athletics and its many stars while reimagining how fans will experience the inaugural edition.”
On the broadcast, tailored graphics featuring augmented reality, athlete headshots, data points, a refreshed user interface along with win probabilities will be the easiest elements to notive. The race clock will shift to the bottom center of the screen “enabling a more seamless user experience on vertical platforms” like smartphones.
A $10 million prize pot for the championships also comes with the guarantee that every athlete will leave Budapest with some level of compensation as the event debuts in around three weeks.
