Track and field is entering a thrilling new era. Long defined by the amateur ideal where global icons chased gold medals and historic glory primarily for the love of the sport, the landscape is rapidly shifting toward life-changing financial rewards. When the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship kicks off in Budapest, Hungary, this September, it will bring together a truly exclusive club of the planet’s absolute best performers – not just to fight for prestige, but to claim a historic $10 million prize pot that firmly cements a new professional standard for the sport.
The excitement surrounding this shift is palpable, driven by a blockbuster lineup of exceptional invitations that has added unprecedented star power to an already stacked roster.
Clash of Titans in Budapest
The marquee men’s 1500m final has just become an unmissable, heavyweight showdown. Great Britain’s 2023 world champion Josh Kerr, fresh off a blistering mile world record of 3:42.66 in London, and Norway’s Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen have both accepted exceptional invitations to join the field.
For Ingebrigtsen, who already holds an automatic entry as the reigning Olympic 5000m champion, Budapest will see him pull off a gruelling and exhilarating double-discipline campaign. Meanwhile, the inclusion of Kerr and Ingebrigtsen elevates an already elite entry list that features reigning 2024 Olympic champion Cole Hocker of the United States and 2025 world champion Isaac Nader of Portugal.
Recognizing that the race could not legitimately be called a definitive gathering of the world’s finest without both rivals on the track, the championship steering board expanded the field to 13 runners, ensuring standard prize money distribution down to the 13th-place finisher.
Champions Returning to Familiar Grounds
Joining the middle-distance drama is Italian high jump superstar Gianmarco Tamberi. The reigning world and Olympic gold medallist, who recently captured his fourth European Championship title by clearing 2.32m in Birmingham, is eager to return to the site of his emotional 2023 World Championships triumph.
Alongside these global icons, four individual Hungarian athletes and two Hungarian relay teams have received exceptional invitations, backed by guaranteed prize money to thrill the passionate home crowd in Budapest.
A Defining Moment for the Sport
Running from September 11 to 13, the World Athletics Ultimate Championship is designed to permanently settle the debate over supremacy in track and field. By uniting world champions, Olympic titlists, Diamond League winners, and year-end top-ranked athletes under one roof and backing it with a massive financial commitment the sport is turning the page on history. Excellence on the track now carries the lucrative rewards it has long deserved, marking a brilliant new chapter for athletes and fans alike.