Budapest is going to host the first World Athletics Ultimate Championship in September 2026, which will be the biggest event of the season. The news was announced by Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics (formerly known as IAAF), in Budapest on Monday, MTI reported.
The British sports official said that 400 athletes from nearly 70 countries, including some of the biggest stars, will be competing in the event, which the WA has set up to ensure that each year when there is no world championship, the sport could have a prestigious event that is watched around the world. The plan is for the tournament to be held every two years.
Speaking at the Secretariat for Sport in Budapest, Coe also said that one of the reasons why Budapest was selected to host the first World Athletics Ultimate Championship was because "the Hungarian capital hosted the best ever outdoor World Championships last year".
The Ultimate Championship, which will have a total prize fund of 10 million US dollars, will take place between 11 and 13 September 2026. According to a statement from the international federation, this is the largest sum ever offered in the history of athletics, with gold medallists each receiving 150,000 US dollars in prize money.
"By only allowing the best of the best to compete, we will create an immediate pressure to perform for the athletes competing for the ultimate title," said Coe, who hopes that the new competition series will excite fans and set a new standard for competition in athletics.
"Budapest is honoured to be the first city to host the highly innovative World Athletics Ultimate Championship. After successfully hosting the 2023 World Athletics Championship, the recent World Aquatics Championships, major UEFA events and many other similar events, Budapest is ready to prove itself once again," IOC member Balázs Fürjes said. "Budapest is truly one of the capitals of global sport and 2026 will be a special year as the new Puskás Arena will be the venue for the final of the Champions League," he added.
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