World Athletics has launched the <a href="https://betheultimatefan.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Athletics Ultimate Fan Challenge</a>, a global competition designed to find the sport&rsquo;s most passionate supporter ahead of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on 11-13 September 2026.&nbsp;
The Fan Challenge platform is now live, marking the start of a months-long search that will culminate inside the stadium in Budapest, where one supporter will be crowned &lsquo;The Ultimate Fan&rsquo;.&nbsp;
The Challenge features two phases &ndash; one rewarding knowledge and consistency, the other celebrating creativity and passion &ndash; with three finalists earning a trip to the Ultimate Championship, including travel, accommodation, tickets and a VIP experience featuring a meeting with Ultimate Legend Usain Bolt.&nbsp;
<h3>Phase one: Quiz Challenge&nbsp;</h3>
The opening phase centres on a global trivia competition testing fans&rsquo; knowledge of athletics.&nbsp;
After registration opens, the first quiz launches on 9 March, with new quizzes released every two weeks until 4 June. Participants answer 10 questions per quiz and earn points towards a live global leaderboard. Fans can also gain points by referring friends and family to join the challenge.&nbsp;
The Quiz Challenge closes on 4 June, with the highest-ranked male and female participants announced as winners shortly after.&nbsp;
<h3>Phase two: &lsquo;How I Live Athletics&rsquo;&nbsp;</h3>
The second phase shifts the focus from knowledge to creativity.&nbsp;
From 20 June to 23 July, fans will be invited to submit one original piece of content &ndash; video, photo, illustration or graphic &ndash; showing how they live athletics in their daily lives. Submissions must fall into one of five themes, ranging from training and cheering to community, culture and heritage.&nbsp;
World Athletics will select one finalist from each category, with the public then invited to vote for the overall winner in August.&nbsp;
<h3>Grand finale in Budapest&nbsp;</h3>
The two Quiz Challenge winners and the &lsquo;How I Live Athletics&rsquo; Challenge winner will travel to Budapest for the Ultimate Championship, where they will take part in a live in-stadium grand finale to determine who will be crowned &lsquo;The Ultimate Fan&rsquo;.&nbsp;
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship will bring together Olympic champions, world champions and Diamond League Final winners in a condensed contest to determine the ultimate champions in each discipline. Through the Ultimate Fan Challenge, World Athletics is extending that same competitive spirit to fans around the world.&nbsp;
Registration is now open at <a href="https://betheultimatefan.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BeTheUltimateFan.com</a>&nbsp;

World Athletics Ultimate Championship

World Athletics has launched the World Athletics Ultimate Fan Challenge, a global competition designed to find the sport’s most passionate supporter

World Athletics launches Ultimate Fan Challenge

<h3>Five storylines that started in 2023 and could define the World Athletics Ultimate Championship when the sport's stars return to the Hungarian capital in 2026</h3>
 Two hundred days remain. Two hundred days until the sport&rsquo;s fiercest contenders return to Budapest &ndash; not for another World Championships, but for something tighter, sharper and altogether less forgiving.
The World Athletics Ultimate Championship will gather Olympic champions, world champions and Diamond League Final winners in one compressed contest designed to settle the debate and determine the ultimate champions. The last time the global spotlight fell on the Hungarian capital, for the World Championships in 2023, it produced moments that still echo: sprint statements, middle-distance heartbreak, last-round drama in the field and record-breaking relay runs.
Those stories did not end when the medals were handed out. They evolved through Paris, Tokyo and beyond. And now, with qualification earned rather than gifted, the stage is set for their next chapter.
From the sprint straight to the throwing circle, from the tactical churn of the 1500m to the innovation of the mixed 4x100m relay, Budapest is once again poised to measure greatness in hundredths, centimetres and split-second decisions.
Here are five storylines that began in Budapest in 2023 &ndash; and could define what happens when the sport&rsquo;s stars return there on 11-13 September 2026.
&nbsp;
<h2>The sprint stage that builds legends</h2>
Budapest was where sprint statements were made in 2023, the boldest of those coming from USA&rsquo;s Noah Lyles, who won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m triple. He followed that with Olympic 100m gold in Paris, booking his place at the Ultimate Championship.
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But with Letsile Tebogo winning Olympic 200m gold and Oblique Seville taking the world 100m title last year, the question remains unresolved: who owns this sprinting era?
It&rsquo;s a conversation sprint icon Usain Bolt admits he would have relished.
&ldquo;The absolute best of the best facing off against each other &ndash; all the major global stars, big money, even bigger personalities, no excuses &ndash; to see who gets bragging rights as the ultimate champion,&rdquo; said the Jamaican superstar, who is an official &lsquo;Ultimate Legend&rsquo; for the event. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s just say I would have loved to be competing in this box-office championship.&rdquo;
Budapest is a city where sprint reputations are forged. In 2026, it may be where one is sealed.
&nbsp;
<h2>Heartbreak, redemption and two unforgiving laps</h2>
In 2023, the women&rsquo;s 800m delivered one of the championship&rsquo;s defining images: a race run on instinct and nerve, decided in the final strides. For Keely Hodgkinson, the runner-up on that occasion, it was a moment that sharpened ambition rather than satisfied it.
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Since then, global titles have reshuffled the division. Hodgkinson gained redemption by winning Olympic gold in Paris, but new challengers have emerged. Lilian Odira, the surprise world champion last year, is one such contender. Femke Bol&rsquo;s move from the 400m hurdles to this discipline adds another layer of intrigue.
The event remains as volatile as ever &ndash; two laps that reward courage but punish miscalculation. And for those who left the Hungarian capital with unfinished business in 2023, the return carries extra significance.
&nbsp;
<h2>Unpredictability in spikes</h2>
If the 2023 World Championships proved anything about the men&rsquo;s 1500m, it is that dominance is never permanent.
Championship middle-distance racing is not a time trial. It is positioning, patience and a final kick finish that can undo years of expectation. Just ask Josh Kerr, who stunned the field in 2023. Or Olympic champion Cole Hocker. Or world champion Isaac Nader.
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The event thrives on uncertainty, and the Ultimate Championship compresses that unpredictability into a smaller, sharper contest. No heats, no second chances. Just one race where the smartest tactician prevails.
Budapest may yet produce another unexpected winner.
&nbsp;
<h2>Relay theatre reimagined</h2>
Relays in Budapest have a habit of rewriting scripts.
In 2023, the mixed 4x400m delivered not only one of the most dramatic finishes, but also the only world record of the championships.
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Three years on, a new format steps into the spotlight. The mixed 4x100m will feature at the Ultimate Championship &ndash; shorter, faster, less forgiving. The margin for error is measured in baton passes, not metres.
Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson anchored the US women to 4x100m victory in Budapest in 2023, while compatriot Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ran the glory leg in Tokyo last year. In a mixed format, that calibre of speed becomes even more explosive.
In an event that blends individual brilliance with team precision, Budapest will once again provide the setting for split-second drama.
&nbsp;
<h2>Full circle moment</h2>
Few events felt as rooted in place in Budapest three years ago as the men&rsquo;s hammer.
The rhythm of the turns, the silence before release, the eruption as the implement lands &ndash; Hungarian fans understood every phase.
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For Bence Hal&aacute;sz, a multiple global medallist and the host nation&rsquo;s leading athlete, the return carries particular significance. But sentiment will not guarantee anything &ndash; especially in a field that includes the likes of world and Olympic champion Ethan Katzberg.
The hammer is a contest of centimetres and composure. And in 200 days&rsquo; time, a home crowd will wait to see whether inspiration can tip the balance.

Five storylines that started in 2023 and could define the World Athletics Ultimate Championship when the sport's stars return to the Hungarian capital in 2026

Budapest beginnings

Three action-packed sessions stacked with finals &ndash; from start to finish. The schedule for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship <a style="color: #e9ea6b;" href="https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-ultimate-championship/2026/schedule" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has been published</a>, to mark 300 days until the groundbreaking event takes place in Budapest.&nbsp;
The Ultimate Championship will assemble world champions, Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners and the year&rsquo;s best performing athletes for an epic clash of titans on 11-13 September 2026.&nbsp;
Every moment will count. Each session is packed with semifinals and finals, and the schedule published today* confirms on which days and in which order specific events will take place, as well as the start and finish times for each session.&nbsp;
<h3>Friday 11 September</h3>
7:00pm &ndash; 10:00pm local time
Order of events:&nbsp; Mixed 4x100m relay - final Women's high jump - final Men's 400m - semifinal Men's hammer - final Women's 400m - semifinal Women's 100m hurdles - semifinal Men's pole vault - final Men's 110m hurdles - semifinal Men's 5000m - final Women's long jump - final Women's 800m - semifinal Women's 100m hurdles - final Men's 110m hurdles - final
<h3>Saturday 12 September</h3>
6:00pm &ndash; 9:00pm local time
Order of events:&nbsp; Women's 400m - final Women's javelin - final Men's 400m - final Men's 800m - semifinal Women's pole vault - final Women's 400m hurdles - semifinal Women's 100m - semifinal Men's 100m - semifinal Women's 1500m - final Men's long jump - final Men's 400m - semifinal Women's 800m - final Women's 100m - final Men's 100m - final
<h3>Sunday 13 September</h3>
6:00pm &ndash; 9:00pm local time
Order of events:&nbsp; Women's 400m hurdles - final Men's javelin - final Men's 200m - semifinal Men's 400m hurdles - final Women's 200m - semifinal Men's high jump - final Women's 5000m - final Women's triple jump - final Men's 800m - final Mixed 4x400m - final Men's 1500m - final Men's 200m - final Women's 200m - final
On the track, the two semifinals in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 100m hurdles/110m hurdles and 400m hurdles will star eight athletes, and the top four in each will make it through to the final. The 1500m, 5000m and relay races will be straight finals. &nbsp;
All field events will be straight finals. The horizontal jumps and throws will feature four rounds, with each of the eight athletes guaranteed two attempts. After the second round, the top six will get another attempt, followed by the top four in the final round, who will have one final attempt &ndash; 8-8-6-4 format.&nbsp;
There&rsquo;s no cap on how many athletes from each country can contest each event and they will all be competing for their share of a record-setting prize pot of US$10 million &ndash; the largest ever offered in a single track and field event.&nbsp;
With this latest information, fans can start planning their trips to the Ultimate Championship &ndash; <a style="color: #e9ea6b;" href="https://www.eventim.hu/campaign/en/wauc2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">buy tickets now</a>.&nbsp;
World Athletics&nbsp;
*subject to change

Three action-packed sessions stacked with finals – from start to finish

Ultimate Championship session schedule revealed with 300 days to go

Olympic champions, world champions, Diamond League winners battle to be crowned the Ultimate Champion

11-13 SEPTEMBER 2026

SPARKS WILL FLY

<h2 style="text-align: center; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">FOLLOW THE STAR JOURNEY TO BUDAPEST</h2>
<div style="padding: 56.25% 0 0 0; position: relative;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" title="World Athletics Ultimate Championship" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1177317469?autoplay=1&amp;muted=1&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479&amp;loop=1" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/sweden/armand-duplantis-14679502" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLE VAULT &bull; SWE</a>

MONDO DUPLANTIS

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/tara-davis-woodhall-14596561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LONG JUMP &bull; USA</a>

TARA DAVIS-WOODHALL

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/grant-holloway-14516985" target="_blank" rel="noopener">110M HURDLES &bull; USA</a>

GRANT HOLLOWAY

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ukraine/yaroslava-mahuchikh-14739628" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HIGH JUMP &bull; UKR</a>

YAROSLAVA MAHUCHIKH

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/norway/jakob-ingebrigtsen-14653717" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5000M &bull; NOR</a>

JAKOB INGEBRIGTSEN

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/masai-russell-14659011" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M HURDLES &bull; USA</a>

MASAI RUSSELL

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/canada/ethan-katzberg-14809348" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HAMMER THROW &bull; CAN</a>

ETHAN KATZBERG

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/saint-lucia/julien-alfred-14646562" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M &bull; LCA</a>

JULIEN ALFRED

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/greece/miltiadis-tentoglou-14669734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LONG JUMP &bull; GRE</a>

MILTIADIS TENTOGLOU

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/keely-hodgkinson-14642894" target="_blank" rel="noopener">800M &bull; GBR</a>

KEELY HODGKINSON

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/rai-benjamin-14574865" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M HURDLES &bull; USA</a>

RAI BENJAMIN

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/nina-kennedy-14407592" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLE VAULT &bull; AUS</a>

NINA KENNEDY

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/noah-lyles-14536762" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M &bull; USA</a>

NOAH LYLES

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/faith-kipyegon-14413305" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1500M &bull; KEN</a>

FAITH KIPYEGON

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/japan/haruka-kitaguchi-14649131" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JAVELIN THROW &bull; JPN</a>

HARUKA KITAGUCHI

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/commonwealth-of-dominica/thea-lafond-14416826" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRIPLE JUMP &bull; DMA</a>

THEA LAFOND

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/new-zealand/hamish-kerr-14633982" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HIGH JUMP &bull; NZL</a>

HAMISH KERR

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/botswana/letsile-tebogo-14883897" target="_blank" rel="noopener">200M &bull; BOT</a>

LETSILE TEBOGO

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/dominican-republic/marileidy-paulino-14749613" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M &bull; DOM</a>

MARILEIDY PAULINO

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/cole-hocker-14905834" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1500M &bull; USA</a>

COLE HOCKER

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/gabrielle-thomas-14733520" target="_blank" rel="noopener">200M &bull; USA</a>

GABRIELLE THOMAS

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/emmanuel-wanyonyi-14974928" target="_blank" rel="noopener">800M &bull; KEN</a>

EMMANUEL WANYONYI

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/beatrice-chebet-14749924" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5000M &bull; KEN</a>

BEATRICE CHEBET

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/pakistan/arshad-nadeem-14698105" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JAVELIN THROW &bull; PAK</a>

ARSHAD NADEEM

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/quincy-hall-14597236" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M &bull; USA</a>

QUINCY HALL

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-14624749" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M HURDLES &bull; USA</a>

SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN-LEVRONE

Qualified by winning in Paris

Olympic champions

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/lilian-odira-14758184" target="_blank" rel="noopener">800M &bull; KEN</a>

LILIAN ODIRA

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/italy/mattia-furlani-14905216" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LONG JUMP &bull; ITA</a>

MATTIA FURLANI

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/switzerland/ditaji-kambundji-14739461" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M HURDLES &bull; SUI</a>

DITAJI KAMBUNDJI

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/noah-lyles-14536762" target="_blank" rel="noopener">200M &bull; USA</a>

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/botswana/busang-collen-kebinatshipi-14935809" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M &bull; BOT</a>

COLLEN KEBINATSHIPI

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/nicola-olyslagers-14455361" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HIGH JUMP &bull; AUS</a>

NICOLA OLYSLAGERS

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/jamaica/oblique-seville-14737998" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M &bull; JAM</a>

OBLIQUE SEVILLE

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/melissa-jefferson-wooden-14756997" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100M &amp; 200M &bull; USA</a>

MELISSA JEFFERSON-WOODEN

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/cole-hocker-14905834" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5000M &bull; USA</a>

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/katie-moon-14373744" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLE VAULT &bull; USA</a>

KATIE MOON

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/portugal/isaac-nader-14756630" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1500M &bull; POR</a>

ISAAC NADER

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/netherlands/femke-bol-14707010" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M HURDLES &bull; NED</a>

FEMKE BOL

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/cordell-tinch-14719972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">110M HURDLES &bull; USA</a>

CORDELL TINCH

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/cuba/leyanis-perez-hernandez-14828679" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRIPLE JUMP &bull; CUB</a>

LEYANIS PEREZ HERNANDEZ

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/trinidad-and-tobago/keshorn-walcott-14376122" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JAVELIN THROW &bull; TTO</a>

KESHORN WALCOTT

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/ecuador/juleisy-angulo-14718123" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JAVELIN THROW &bull; ECU</a>

JULEISY ANGULO

<a href="https://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/sydney-mclaughlin-levrone-14624749" target="_blank" rel="noopener">400M &bull; USA</a>

Qualified by winning in Tokyo

World champions

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

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World Athletics Ultimate Championship – debuting 11-13 September 2026 in Budapest – register now for info

World Athletics Ultimate Championship 2026

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