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≡ ULTIMATE CHAMPIONSHIP ≡
The first World Athletics “Ultimate Championship” season-ending meet for 2026 will be held from 11-13 September 2026 in Budapest (HUN), with more specifics on the meet announced on Tuesday:
● There will be 28 events with individual men’s and women’s 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, 1,500 m, 5,000 m, 100/110 m hurdles, 400 m hurdles, high jump, pole vault, long jump and javelin.
● Individual additions include the men’s hammer, women’s triple jump, plus mixed 4×100 m and 4×400 m relays.
● The meet will be three hours per session across three days, similar to the timing now used by Grand Slam Track. There will be semis in the 100-200-400-800-hurdles with the top four in each to advance to a final and straight finals in the 1,500 m and 5,000 m and field events and relays. Nine events will be held on Friday and Saturday and 10 on Sunday.
The first qualifiers were announced, with the 26 Paris Olympic champions from 2024 advanced to the event. Added in will be the 26 winners of these events at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (JPN) in September, 25 Diamond League winners from the 2026 season and top performers from 2026 to fill in the fields. About 360 athletes will be involved all together.
Heavy prize money will be available; for the individual events:
● 1. $150,000
● 2. $75,000
● 3. $40,000
● 4. $25,000
● 5. $16,000
● 6. $14,000
● 7. $12,000
● 8. $10,000
● 9. $9,000
● 10. $8,000
● 11. $7,000
● 12. $6,000
● 13. $5,000
● 14. $4,000
● 15. $3,000
● 16. $2,000
That’s $386,000 per event or $10.036 million across 26 events. The relays pay less, at $80,000-40,000-24,000-20,000-16,000-14,000-10,000-8,000 per team for places 1-8, or $212,000 each for two relays for a $424,000 total.
That brings the total prize purse to $10,248,000.
From their Olympic wins in Paris, nine Americans are already guaranteed a spot in Budapest:
● Men: Noah Lyles (100 m), Quincy Hall (400 m), Cole Hocker (1,500 m), Grant Holloway (110 m hurdles), Rai Benjamin (400 m hurdles).
● Women: Gabby Thomas (200 m), Masai Russell (100 m hurdles), Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (400 m hurdles) and Tara Davis-Woodhall (long jump).
The 2025 World Champions will get a double bonus: entry into the 2026 Ultimate Championship and a wild-card entry into the 2027 World Championships as well.
No information on timing or event schedule, but an evening meet in Hungary should allow U.S. viewers to see the meet in mid-day in the Eastern time zone and morning on the West Coast. U.S. rights to World Athletics events through 2030 are held by NBC.
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