By Alex Ridout
In a year where the athletics calendar was void of any global championships, World Athletics believed that 2026 was the season to bring in a brand new event, to what already was a jam-packed series.
The competition in question was revealed to be the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, which acted as a sort of “season finale” to this year’s action, similar to the ATP and WTA Tour finals events in tennis.
Embed from Getty ImagesBeing held in Budapest, Hungary, the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre welcomed a crowd of around 21,000, ready to see the world’s best athletes compete for the sport’s biggest ever prize pool, with $150,000 going to each event’s winner.
With a new sleek design, including a black infield, and pink sand, the championships presented themselves with flashy lights, an array of stats, and even a red carpet before the three days of sport got underway.
Embed from Getty ImagesThere seemed to be a large emphasis on giving more attention to the sport’s stars, as the people at the top of World Athletics – including Seb Coe – continue to try and push their sport more and more into the mainstream media, which many would see as a positive.
But like a lot of things in athletics, the Ultimate Championships came with controversy, some that was created whilst the event was taking place, and some that had been issues that supporters had as soon as it was announced.
One of the biggest complaints that athletics fans, and athletes alike, have been highlighting is that not every discipline is represented at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships.
The likes of the men’s and women’s discus, men’s steeplechase, men’s triple jump and women’s hammer throw are just some of the events that aren’t involved, which has caused a stir amongst many in the athletics community, including discus thrower, Matt Denny.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe 2026 Commonwealth Games champion from Glasgow took to social media to emphasise his concerns around the new addition.
On his social media accounts, the Australian said: “For many athletes, that kind of opportunity can change a career and a life.
“I support the concept of the Ultimate Championships. Athletics needs innovation.
“We need to improve the broadcast product, attract new audiences and find better ways to grow the sport. But innovation should not come at the expense of opportunity.”
Another point that athletics enthusiasts have raised online has been the event’s use of stats on the television coverage, with every competitor being given a chance of winning percentage and projected finish.
As an idea it comes across quite well, however athletics fans know their stuff, and if the people creating these graphics get something wrong, supporters will mostly like notice it.
For example, despite being the number one sprinter in the world right now, both over 100m and 200m, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden was projected to finish third in her race over the half of a lap.
Also, during the men’s 1500m final, the new mile world record holder, Josh Kerr, wasn’t just projected outside the top places in the race, he was also shown to be apparently likely to end the three and three quarter laps in 13th place – the problem with that being there were only 12 men in the field.
Obviously, these are minor issues when it comes to the production of a massive event such as the Ultimate Championships, however for hardcore fans of the sport, it will come as a slight frustration or give them something to chuckle about if nothing more.
There are plenty of positives to come from World Athletics’ latest instalment to the calendar, and the prize pool equating to $10m has seemingly been enough to entice most of the world’s best to appear for the final time this season, providing rivalries that may not be seen much on the Diamond League circuit.
Embed from Getty ImagesHow much this new event will affect the Diamond League finals in future years will be something to keep an eye on.
Also, the modernisation of it has seemingly been accepted positively by a lot of supporters, at least online, with impressive tv camera work and the start of split screens being integrated being at the forefront of that.
With such as large end prize up for grabs, the performances from the athletes have been right at the very top of what the sport can offer, and despite it coming right at the end of a long season, the Budapest crowd will still very much entertained by some great displays from some of the sport’s best.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhether new additions like the athlete’s lounge, after party and red carpet events are to the taste of everyone is yet to be seen, as the dust settles in Hungary, however change does take time to get used to, and if these ideas do get round in the sporting world, then the hierarchy at World Athletics will be somewhat pleased.
Embed from Getty ImagesReaction from the masses will emerge in the coming days, however the different feel of the Ultimate Championships does provide plenty of talking points.
“It wasn’t the perfect event” is a line that might be seen a lot, but definitely something to build on come the next addition of the event.
Featured image of Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre: Balint Kovari via Wikimedia Commons
