The inaugural Ultimate Championship finally takes its maiden flight tomorrow with the first of three days of action in Budapest, as the marquee names of the sport converge on the National Athletics Centre and a long season gets its victory lap.
All three days will be a fast-paced mix of semifinal and final rounds — no qualifiers — with a majority of the fields made up of the most recent Olympic and world championships.
Expect the best in the sport to appear on the track and in the field as Mondo Duplantis, Melissa Jefferson Wooden, Josh Kerr, Masai Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Masai Russell headline a stacked group of athletes that have taken separate paths toward one final shot at glory this weekend.
With 28 events and nearly 400 competitors already on site in Budepest, the event is World Athletics’ direct response to filling in the gap of no Olympics or world championship and guaranteeing that only the best battle for the ultimate title in each discipline.
Meanwhile, the athletes are vying for their share of a record $10m prize pot — the largest at any track and field event ever. And every single competitor will leave Budapest with a cash payout. Winners will receive $150,000, while second place gets $75,000 and third place wins $40,000.
All eyes will look toward the field as Duplantis leaps toward men’s pole vault supremacy in a season that saw far more ups than downs, but the rare blemish on his 2026 campaign showed that he can falter like any other human. He will take on a group that includes Emmanouil Karalis, Kurtis Marschall, Sam Kendricks and Sondre Guttormsen.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden takes on double duty in the women’s 100m and 200m in a pair of fields loaded with familiar faces as she is a favorite to pull off a repeat of her individual performances in Tokyo at last year’s world championships. In the 100m, Sha’Carri Richardson, Julien Alfred, Tina Clayton and Amy Hunt are likely to meet her in the final while Gabby Thomas, Hunt, Kayla White and Shaunae Miller-Uibo look to be in the max to challenge Jefferson-Wooden in the 200m final.
The men’s 110m hurdles will be a loaded showdown as Jamal Britt, Trey Cunningham, Ja’Kobe Tharp all have the firepower — and times — to take the title as all three will battle for who will take what podium position in Budapest.
Audrey Werro could cap her stunning season with a win in the women’s 800m and make a final season-ending statement that she is now the rightful new owner of the event but Femke Broeders-Bol, Keely Hodgkinson and Raevyn Rogers will challenge her on the bell lap in the final in what will be a must-watch this weekend.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen late season arrival after recovering from Achilles surgery is one of the biggest comeback stories of the year and he will join a loaded men’s 5,000m field with Olympic champion Cole Hocker, Graham Blanks, Grant Fisher, Jacob Krop and Nico Young likely to prove that this race will not be decided by simply picking a favorite.
Event Schedule
All times Eastern
Friday, September 11
1:08 p.m. – Mixed 4x100m Relay Final
1:13 p.m. – Women’s High Jump Final
1:19 p.m. – Men’s 400m Semifinal
1:23 p.m. – Men’s Hammer Throw Final
1:38 p.m. – Women’s 400m Semifinal
2:04 p.m. – Women’s 100m Hurdles Semifinal
2:08 p.m. – Men’s Pole Vault Final
2:21 p.m. – Men’s 110m Hurdles Semifinal
2:36 p.m. – Men’s 5,000m Final
2:53 p.m. – Women’s Long Jump Final
2:57 p.m. – Women’s 800m Semifinal
3:20 p.m. – Women’s 100m Hurdles Final
3:49 p.m. – Men’s 110m Hurdles Final
Saturday, September 12
12:08 p.m. – Women’s 400m Final
12:13 p.m. – Women’s Javelin Throw Final
12:18 p.m. – Men’s 400m Final
12:26 p.m. – Men’s 800m Semifinal
12:43 p.m. – Women’s Pole Vault Final
12:46 p.m. – Women’s 400m Hurdles Semifinal
1:04 p.m. – Women’s 100m Semifinal
1:21 p.m. – Men’s 100m Semifinal
1:36 p.m. – Women’s 1,500m Final
1:44 p.m. – Men’s Long Jump Final
1:57 p.m. – Men’s 400m Hurdles Semifinal
2:18 p.m. – Women’s 800m Final
2:38 p.m. – Women’s 100m Final
2:49 p.m. – Men’s 100m Final
Sunday, September 13
12:08 p.m. – Women’s 400m Hurdles Final
12:13 p.m. – Men’s Javelin Throw Final
12:18 p.m. – Men’s 200m Semifinal
12:36 p.m. – Men’s 400m Hurdles Final
12:44 p.m. – Women’s 200m Semifinal
1:04 p.m. – Men’s High Jump Final
1:10 p.m. – Women’s 5,000m Final
1:34 p.m. – Women’s Triple Jump Final
1:41 p.m. – Men’s 800m Final
1:53 p.m. – Mixed 4×400m Relay Final
2:10 p.m. – Men’s 1,500m Final
2:38 p.m. – Men’s 200m Final
2:49 p.m. – Women’s 200m Final
How To Watch
In the United States, coverage will be provided by NBC Sports and streaming on Peacock beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday and 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch all three days on BBC One, BBC Two and streaming via the BBC iPlayer.
For all other countries, refer to the World Athletics broadcast guide and live streams are accessible through the World Athletics+ platform.
