World Athletics Announces Ultimate Championship for 2026

World Athletics will start a new competition featuring a $10 million prize pool for gold medalists called ‘Ultimate Championship’ with its inaugural competition in September 2026 in Budapest.

The new event will feature world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners and the year’s best performing athletes against each other. World Athletics said the event would be held every two years, placing the second edition of the event squarely in the same competition season as the 2028 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles.

“With only the best of the best on show and cutting straight to semifinals and finals, we will create an immediate pressure to perform for athletes aiming to claim the title of the ultimate champion,” said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said in a release. “The World Athletics Ultimate Championship will be high on action and excitement for fans, setting a new standard for track and field events.”

When asked on an online call later Monday about having the event potentially be in the same cycle as LA28 — and on top of World Athletics’ previously announced plan to pay gold medalists at the 2024 Olympic Summer Games in Paris — Coe said “I’m elected to represent my sport in the Olympic movement, not the Olympic movement in my sport.”

World Athletics will pay $50,000 for each of the gold medals in 48 track and field events in Paris, money which will come directly from the World Athletics share of the IOC’s billions of dollars in revenue from the Summer Games.

At the Ultimate Championship, World Athletics will pay the winners in each event $150,000. The event will include sprints, middle and long-distance races, relays, jumps, and throws over three evening sessions with athletes representing their national teams.

“By embracing innovation and breaking away from traditional models, we are looking to reach a broader audience, particularly younger fans and elevate the entire sport,” said World Athletics Chief Executive Officer Jon Ridgeon. “There will be a strong focus on television audiences, with an aim to reach the biggest global audience possible. We also want to enhance the viewing experience, both at home and in the stadium, so we are looking at what new competition innovations can be introduced.”

World Athletics said in a release that Budapest was chosen after a bid process that saw interest from “several major global cities.” The Hungarian capital hosted the World Athletics Championships last year.

“Budapest is truly honored to be the inaugural host city for the highly innovative World Athletics Ultimate Championship,” said Balázs Furjes, IOC member for Hungary and co-leader of the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 organizing committee. “Having successfully hosted the 2023 World Athletics Championships, recent World Aquatics Championships, major UEFA events and many more, Budapest is ready to deliver again.”