Three nights, 381 athletes and some of the biggest names in athletics: Budapest hosts the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship this weekend, with Olympic champions and world-record holders competing on the banks of the Danube.

Budapest is about to host the first-ever World Athletics Ultimate Championship, bringing some of the biggest names in track and field to the Hungarian capital from September 11 to 13, 2026. The three-evening competition at the Zsivótzky Gyula National Athletics Centre (a.k.a. the National Athletics Centre) will feature Olympic champions, world champions, Diamond League winners and the year's top performers, with 381 athletes from 65 federations competing across 28 disciplines.

The entry list reads like a who's who of modern athletics. Swedish pole-vault superstar Mondo Duplantis, the Olympic and world champion and current world-record holder, will compete in Budapest. Other Olympic champions entered include Letsile Tebogo, Keely Hodgkinson, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Gabby Thomas, Marileidy Paulino, Ethan Katzberg, Miltiadis Tentoglou and Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

One of the most anticipated races will be Sunday's men's 1500m final, where Britain's Josh Kerr and Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen will face each other alongside Olympic champion Cole Hocker and world champion Isaac Nader. Kerr and Ingebrigtsen's rivalry has become one of the best-known storylines in middle-distance running.

Italy's flamboyant Olympic high-jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi will also compete on Sunday, while Duplantis will return to the stadium on the closing night to perform the official championship anthem, Gold.

American sprint star Noah Lyles will not compete, having ended his season because of injury. He has nevertheless said he plans to attend the event.

There will also be plenty of home interest. Hungarian stars competing include Bence Halász, who will face Olympic and world champion Ethan Katzberg in the hammer throw on Friday, Boglárka Takács, who will compete in the 100m and 200m, and hurdler Luca Kozák. Hungary will also field mixed 4×100m and 4×400m relay teams.

The championship is deliberately compact, with three evening sessions rather than the long schedule of a traditional World Athletics Championships. There are no conventional heats; the programme is built around semi-finals and finals.

Friday, September 11 – 7pm–10pm

The opening night includes the men's 5000m, men's hammer throw and pole vault finals, women's high jump and long jump, the women's 100m hurdles and men's 110m hurdles, plus the mixed 4×100m relay. Hungarian highlights include Bence Halász in the hammer throw and Luca Kozák in the 100m hurdles.

Saturday, September 12 – 6pm–9pm

Saturday is the big sprint night, featuring the men's and women's 100m finals, women's 800m and 1500m finals, men's long jump, women's pole vault and women's javelin. Boglárka Takács is scheduled to compete in the women's 100m.

Sunday, September 13 – 6pm–9pm

The closing session features the men's and women's 200m finals, men's and women's 400m, men's 800m and 1500m, women's 5000m, men's high jump and javelin, women's triple jump and the mixed 4×400m relay. Takács Boglárka is scheduled for the women's 200m, while the Hungarian mixed relay team will compete in the 4×400m. The men's 1500m final, featuring Kerr and Ingebrigtsen, is scheduled for 8:10pm.

NEAK

How to get to the National Athletics Centre

The Zsivótzky Gyula National Athletics Centre** is at Hajóállomás utca 1, 1095 Budapest**, on the eastern bank of the Danube in southern Pest. The stadium was built for the 2023 World Athletics Championships and now has a permanent capacity of around 15,000. For tourists, the easiest landmark to remember is Közvágóhíd. From there, the stadium is within walking distance.

The simplest routes are:

* Tram 1, 2 or 24 → Közvágóhíd
* H6 HÉV → Közvágóhíd
* H7 HÉV → Müpa–Nemzeti Színház
* Buses 54, 55, 223E or 224 → Közvágóhíd
* On weekdays, bus 179 → Helyi kikötő út

If you are staying around Deák Ferenc tér, the Danube waterfront or Pest city centre, the trams are particularly convenient: you can simply make your way to the 1, 2 or 24 line and stay on until Közvágóhíd. This is important for visitors who have rented a car: there will be no parking around the stadium, and the organisers explicitly recommend public transport!

Traffic restrictions begin before the championship. The Szabad Hongkong út between Ujgur Mártírok útja and the stadium will be closed to vehicles from September 10 until the early hours of September 14. Other streets around the venue will have parking restrictions and temporary one-way traffic arrangements during the competition.

A taxi can still be useful for part of the journey, but don't expect to be dropped directly beside the entrance. For most tourists, public transport is likely to be both easier and faster.

World Athletics says public transport will operate with increased frequency for three hours after Friday's programme, and for three hours both before and after the Saturday and Sunday sessions.

There are also specific BKK service increases. For example, tram 24 runs more frequently from 10pm until the end of service on Friday, and current service information shows additional frequency on trams 1, 2 and 24 around the weekend sessions.

The latest traffic information indicates that trams 1 and 2 will run every five minutes during several pre- and post-event periods, while tram 24 will also receive additional evening services. H7 HÉV services are additionally strengthened on Sunday afternoon and evening.

Budapest also has an extensive network of night buses, many of which have numbers beginning with 9, so getting back into the centre after the event is not normally a problem. The exact route you need will depend on where you are staying, so checking the journey planner before leaving the stadium is recommended.

A few things international visitors should know

You can show your event ticket on your phone or as a printed ticket. However, tickets are valid for one entry only: once your ticket has been scanned, you cannot leave the venue and return later using the same ticket.

If you use a MOL BUBI bicycle or a shared scooter to get to the area, don't expect to leave it directly at the stadium. World Athletics asks users to leave shared bikes and scooters at the nearest designated docking or collection point and continue on foot.

And remember that Budapest's public transport is integrated into the city's normal ticketing system. If you already have a Budapest travelcard, check its validity for the particular service you plan to use; otherwise, tickets can be purchased through the city's normal BKK channels.

More than just a sporting event

The Ultimate Championship is intended to become a new global showcase for athletics, held in years without a World Athletics Championships. Its format is deliberately different from a traditional championship: a small field of the world's best athletes, a concentrated three-evening programme and a record **US$10 million prize pot**, with individual champions receiving US$150,000.

For tourists, it is also an excuse to visit one of Budapest's newest major landmarks. The National Athletics Centre sits directly beside the Danube and was one of the most distinctive venues of the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

 

For additional information about the event visit the official website.