As the 2026 track and field season comes to a close, all eyes turn to Budapest, where the world’s best will compete at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships. The three-day global championship brings together 381 athletes from 65 federations for a final opportunity to end the season with a global title.
The selective qualification requirements include being either 1) a Paris 2024 Olympic Champion, 2) a Tokyo 2025 World Champion, 3) a 2026 Diamond League Champion, or 4) one of the highest-ranked athletes in their respective event this season, making the championship a star-studded event.
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With some of the sport's biggest names going head-to-head this weekend, September 11 - 13, highly anticipated matchups are set across nearly every event. Here are some of the top storylines to watch in Budapest.
Kerr Headlines a Stacked Men’s 1500m Following Mile World Record
One of the deepest men’s 1500m seasons will conclude with another epic showdown between the best distance stars. Mile world record holder Josh Kerr will return to competition after a month and a half and renew his rivalry with Jakob Ingebrigtsen in their first 1500m meeting in two years. They will be joined by Americans Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse, and Ethan Strand.
Cameron Myers will be one to watch after defeating Ingebrigtsen and Hocker to win the Diamond League Final. Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech will also have an opportunity to challenge for the win in Budapest after coming off a strong second-place finish in Brussels. Between established veterans and a younger generation of contenders, the men’s 1500m could produce one of the championship’s most exciting finishes.
Can Anyone Stop Audrey Werro in the Women’s 800m?
Audrey Werro has been the athlete to beat this year, remaining undefeated in outdoor 800m finals. She has climbed to third on the world all-time list with her personal best of 1:53.70, which is just 0.42 seconds shy of Jarmila Kratochvílová’s 1:53.28 world record from 1983.
In each race, Femke Broeders-Bol has lowered her personal best and has come closer to defeating Werro, with only 0.06 seconds separating the pair at the Diamond League Final.
Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson completes the headliners, as she makes her first appearance in a month after withdrawing from the final two Diamond League meetings. Werro, Hodgkinson and Broeders-Bol recently swept the European Championships podium, setting up a thrilling rematch in Budapest.
Men’s 400m Hurdles Big Three Reunite For First Time Since 2025 World Championships
For the first time since the 2025 World Championships, the three fastest 400m hurdles in history meet in the men’s 400m hurdles.
Rai Benjamin enters as the reigning Olympic and world champion, but he has only run one 400m hurdles race this season, as he has primarily focused on the 400m. Benjamin will attempt the 400m/400m hurdles double in Budapest, where he is a top contender in both. Alison dos Santos has produced a historic season, remaining undefeated in the event. His season is highlighted by his 45.80 world record a couple of weeks ago in Zurich and a Diamond League Final title.
Karsten Warholm will be looking for redemption after placing fifth at last year’s Worlds and a recent surrender of the world record he held for five years to dos Santos. The Norwegian skipped the Diamond League Final in an effort to enter Budapest on fresher legs than his two rivals. With the big three back together on the same track, the race could deliver a historic performance.
Olympic Champion Alfred Clashes with World Champion Jefferson-Wooden in Women’s 100m
The women’s 100m will feature a rematch between Paris Olympic medalists Julien Alfred, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Sha'Carri Richardson. Jefferson-Wooden enters as the reigning world champion after running a fourth all-time mark of 10.61 in Tokyo last year. She and Alfred share the fastest time in the world this season at 10.70, setting up another close battle between the two.
Alfred and Richardson both competed at the Diamond League Final, while Jefferson-Wooden skipped Brussels to focus on the Ultimate Championships. Richardson has a season’s best of 10.77 and returns to the stadium where she won her 2023 world title, and will hope to draw on that experience to propel her to the top of the podium.
Tina Clayton is another top contender to look out for. The 2025 world silver medalist was victorious in Brussels, clocking a 10.93 to claim her first Diamond League Final title. After finishing behind Jefferson-Wooden in Tokyo, Clayton will have another opportunity to challenge the world champion in Budapest.
Will the Men’s 800m Move Closer to World-Record Territory?
Four of the five fastest men in the world this season will meet in a loaded men’s 800m field. Emmanuel Wanyonyi arrives in Budapest with significant momentum after winning his fourth consecutive Diamond League title in Brussels. The Olympic Champion clocked 1:41.80 to defeat Djamel Sedjati, another member of the sub-1:42 club. #4 all-time Marco Arop will also be in contention, while U.S. #4 Brandon Miller runs his first 800m since the Lausanne Diamond League three weeks ago. Miller has proven to be a strong contender in stacked fields, earning victories over Cooper Lutkenhaus and Wanyonyi earlier this season.
With several of the world’s fastest half-milers toeing the line, David Rudisha’s 1:40.91 world record could be seriously challenged.
Emmanouil Karalis Challenges Mondo Duplantis For a World Title
Armand Duplantis has dominated the men’s pole vault for years, but an injury concern could open the door for Emmanouil Karalis to win his first world title. Duplantis withdrew from the Diamond League Final after experiencing leg tightness, allowing Karalis to claim the crown with a 6.12m clearance.
The Greek star has increasingly closed the gap between himself and Duplantis this season. At the Zurich Diamond League, he cleared 6.20m, becoming the second man in history to reach that height. Duplantis won the meeting at 6.25m, which was his best outdoor clearance of the year.
Duplantis will be the favorite if he remains healthy; the Swede has remained the world leader all year and raised his world record to 6.31m earlier this year. However, with Duplantis handling an injury and Karalis entering as a Diamond League Champion, we may see a new World champion on top of the podium in Budapest.
Other Events to Watch
Oblique Seville returns to the men's 100m as the only 2025 World Championships medalist in the field. With Noah Lyles out due to injury, Seville has the fastest season's best, although Emmanuel Eseme, Kayinsola Ajayi, and Kenny Bednarek will be right there with him. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden will double in the 100m and 200m, facing reigning Olympic Champion Gabby Thomas. Americans will look for another sweep of the men's 110m hurdles after Ja'Kobe Tharp, Jamal Britt, and Trey Cunningham filled the podium at the Diamond League Final. The men's 5000m has eight athletes who have broken 12:50 this season, four of whom are Americans: Graham Blanks, Nico Young, Parker Wolfe, and Grant Fisher.
FloTrack Archived Footage
Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
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