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World Athletics has launched the inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest, introducing a new season-ending athletics event with a record $10 million prize pot.
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The three-day competition brought many of the sport’s biggest stars together in a faster-paced format designed to create greater excitement for both stadium spectators and television audiences.
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Josh Kerr became Great Britain’s first Ultimate champion after winning the men’s 1500m, collecting $150,000 for his victory, while Armand Duplantis and Jakob Ingebrigtsen were among the other headline performers.
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Despite three consecutive sell-out crowds and positive feedback from athletes, the new championship has already faced criticism over the exclusion of several traditional events and questions over how it will fit into the wider athletics calendar.
September 14, (THEWILL) – World Athletics has taken a major step towards reshaping the way athletics is presented with the launch of the inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
Held across three fast-paced evenings, the new event brought together some of the biggest names in track and field while offering a record $10 million prize pot.
The championship represents World Athletics’ attempt to address one of the sport’s biggest challenges: maintaining the attention and excitement generated by the Olympic Games throughout the rest of the four-year cycle.
Unlike the established global championships, the Ultimate Championship was deliberately designed to feel different.
The organisers introduced a new visual identity, condensed competition sessions and several innovations aimed at making the action easier to follow and more engaging for audiences.
The infield was painted black to focus attention on the illuminated events, while horizontal jumps took place in a bright pink sandpit.
Winners were presented with a new trophy before their celebrations were accompanied by sparklers and music, adding a more theatrical element to the traditional championship experience.
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The Ultimate Championship was three years in development, with World Athletics hoping to establish a new pinnacle at the end of the athletics season.
The idea was partly driven by the inconsistent exposure athletics receives outside major events such as the Olympics and World Championships.
For occasional viewers, following the sport throughout the season can be difficult, while clashes between the world’s leading athletes are not always guaranteed.
The new championship therefore placed a strong emphasis on creating a simple proposition: bring the best athletes together, condense the action and put a significant financial reward behind the competition.
The $10 million prize fund was central to that ambition.
The organisers also attempted to put the personalities of the athletes closer to the centre of the event.
The world’s leading competitors arrived in Budapest for a red-carpet event featuring photoshoots, while athlete videos were shown inside the stadium before competitions.
Champions were then given centre-court style interviews before being escorted to a dedicated champions’ enclosure featuring athletics legend Usain Bolt and master of ceremonies Noah Lyles.
The approach was welcomed by several athletes who believe athletics can benefit from giving fans greater access to the personalities behind the performances.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
