World Athletics in Budapest introduces a black infield, live graphics and a competition without medals
World Athletics has unveiled a series of production, competition and digital innovations intended to change the way audiences follow the biggest athletics events. The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship will be held from 11 to 13 September 2026 at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, with a format that differs significantly from traditional world championships. The programme will be condensed into three evening sessions lasting three hours each, with a total of 28 finals, while spectators' attention will be directed by a black surface in the central area of the stadium, targeted lighting and a precisely directed sequence of events. Traditional medals will not be awarded: all invited athletes will receive a special symbolic token, while the winners will receive a trophy that connects with it to form a single complete object.
According to a World Athletics announcement published on 21 July, the changes cover television broadcasting, the appearance of the competition area, athlete presentations, the schedule of disciplines, digital platforms and the competitors' experience. The organisation's president, Sebastian Coe, said that the Ultimate Championship had been developed as a different product, intended both for loyal athletics followers and for audiences who watch sport through television, mobile devices and social media. The event has been conceived as a separate season finale in which the holders of the biggest titles will meet in direct head-to-head contests.
Black stadium infield and lighting focused exclusively on the active competition area
The most striking change will be the appearance of the central section of the National Athletics Centre. World Athletics has announced a dramatic black surface in the stadium infield, while the areas in which competition is taking place at that moment will be highlighted by strong contrast and lighting. This is therefore not a replacement of the standard athletics track with a black track, but a visual redesign of the space inside it so that spectators and television cameras can follow the active discipline more easily. In this way, the organisers want to make it easier to follow multiple disciplines, which is a frequent challenge in broadcasts of major athletics championships.
For that reason, the schedule has been designed so that, whenever possible, only one discipline takes place at a time in the jumping or throwing areas. Each evening will include a horizontal jump, a vertical jump, one throwing discipline and a series of track races, but their order will be incorporated into a pre-planned broadcast script. World Athletics states that the traditional schedule is being replaced by a television script in which almost every second is planned, from transitions between disciplines to interviews and celebrations. This should prevent an important jump or throw attempt from being overshadowed by a track race.
Additional emphasis has been placed on lighting. A complete lighting structure should separate the athletes visually from their surroundings during introductions before their performances and after the conclusion of a discipline. American sprinter Noah Lyles, a multiple world champion and one of the most recognisable representatives of the new generation of athletics stars, participated in developing new ways for athletes to enter the competition area and celebrate their results. The organisers have also announced musical performances before the start of each session, while the competition's distinctive sound identity will include an official anthem created by pole vault world record-holder Mondo Duplantis.
Augmented reality, winner predictions and graphics adapted to mobile screens
The largest part of the changes for the global audience will be visible in the television broadcast. According to World Athletics, the new graphics package will include augmented reality, photographs of athletes, additional statistical data and a clearer visual presentation of results. During races, estimates of the probability of victory and the expected finishing order will be displayed. These predictions will be generated by an algorithm that takes previous results into account, with more recent performances carrying greater weight, and the data will be updated in real time as the race develops.
Such graphics should provide additional context in disciplines whose tactical development is not easy to interpret without knowledge of the athletes' form and their comparative records. However, the statistical prediction will have to be clearly distinguished from the actual result. The organisers also incorporated feedback from fans into the development of the presentation.
Even the position of the official clock has been adapted to new viewing habits. The race clock will be moved towards the lower central part of the screen so that important data are more visible in vertical video formats on mobile platforms. The broadcast will also include interviews modelled on courtside conversations in other sports: statements from athletes inside the stadium will be shown simultaneously to spectators in the stands and to viewers of the international television feed. The main television production is being managed by Tata Communications and HBS, while Infront is responsible for the international sale of media rights.
Three evenings, 28 finals and no lengthy qualifying rounds
The Ultimate Championship will take place over three evenings, with each session lasting approximately three hours. According to the published programme, the competition begins on Friday, 11 September, from 19:00 to 22:00 local time, while the Saturday and Sunday sessions are scheduled from 18:00 to 21:00. The schedule has been marked as subject to change, but the basic structure remains the same: within a short period, the audience will see a series of semifinals and finals without the multi-day qualifying rounds that are customary at major championships.
The programme includes 26 individual disciplines and two mixed relays. Men and women will compete in the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1500 and 5000 metres, the high hurdles and the 400-metre hurdles, as well as the high jump, pole vault, long jump and javelin throw. In addition, the women will contest the triple jump, the men the hammer throw, and the programme will include the mixed 4 x 100 and 4 x 400-metre relays. The mixed 4 x 100-metre relay is one of the most notable new additions to the programme of global athletics competitions.
In the 800-metre races and shorter distances, two semifinals with eight athletes each will be held, with the top four from each advancing to the final. The 1500 and 5000-metre races and the relays will be direct finals. All field disciplines will also be held as finals, with eight competitors. In horizontal jumps and throws, the 8-8-6-4 format will be applied: all eight athletes will receive the first two attempts, the top six will continue into the third round, and the leading four will have a final attempt in the fourth round.
This reduces the number of performances but increases the pressure on every attempt. Athletes will not have room to build their form gradually through qualifying and multiple rounds, and an error at an early stage may immediately jeopardise their placing. World Athletics presents the format as more direct for the audience, but only the inaugural edition will show how the shortened system affects tactical disciplines and athletes accustomed to spreading risk across several attempts or rounds.
The best qualify through Olympic and world titles, the Diamond League and rankings
The invitation system has been designed to bring the current holders of the biggest titles and the season's best performers together in Budapest. Automatic invitations were awarded to the individual Olympic champions from Paris 2024 and the world champions from the 2025 championships in Tokyo. They will be joined by the winners of the 2026 Diamond League Final in Brussels and athletes selected according to the world rankings during the qualification period from 2 September 2025 to 1 September 2026.
Unlike the World Championships and the Olympic Games, there is no limit on the number of representatives from one country in an individual discipline. Invitations are sent personally to athletes, so the final fields could include several athletes from the same country if they meet the criteria. Individual track disciplines will feature up to 16 competitors, field disciplines eight each, and relay competitions eight national teams. For the mixed relays, the top six teams from the 2026 World Athletics Relays in Gaborone will receive automatic invitations, while the remaining places will be filled according to the best results achieved during the qualification period.
This model is intended to bring Olympic winners, current world champions, Diamond League winners and leading athletes in the rankings together more frequently. Numerous major names who have secured places are already featured on the official competition website, including Noah Lyles, Mondo Duplantis, Faith Kipyegon, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Beatrice Chebet, Femke Bol, Oblique Seville and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. The final line-up will nevertheless depend on the conclusion of the qualification period, Diamond League results, the athletes' health and their acceptance of the official invitations.
A record 10 million dollars and prize money for every participant
The financial aspect of the project is one of its main attractions. World Athletics confirms that the total prize fund amounts to 10 million US dollars, making it the largest fund offered at a single athletics competition. The winner of an individual discipline will receive 150,000 dollars, the runner-up 75,000 and the third-placed athlete 40,000 dollars. Prize money is allocated for every placing down to 16th position, meaning that every athlete who competes should receive financial compensation.
In the relays, the prize for the winning team is 80,000 dollars, with the amounts decreasing down to eighth place. In this way, the organisers want to increase the value of the season finale and provide athletes with a strong reason to maintain peak form until mid-September after a long competition period. In earlier presentations of the project, Coe emphasised that athletes generate public interest and the sport's revenue and must therefore be rewarded more appropriately. The Ultimate Championship is consequently also part of an attempt to increase the direct income of elite competitors.
In addition to the prize fund, athletes are being promised expanded rights to their own content. Every participant should receive footage of their discipline for publication on their personal digital channels, as well as access to official photographs from the competition and behind-the-scenes areas. The aim is to enable athletes to make better use of their own name, image and sporting identity and not depend exclusively on a brief television appearance. American Tara Davis-Woodhall, the Olympic long jump champion, will also serve as the competition's lead content creator.
Instead of a medal, a participation token and a trophy that completes the whole
The greatest symbolic break with tradition will be the decision not to award medals. Every invited athlete will receive a unique participation token, while the winners will receive a trophy designed to connect with that token. Only when the two objects are joined will they form a completed whole, through which the organisers want to emphasise the difference between simply reaching the world elite and winning the title of Ultimate Champion. The appearance of the trophy and token has not yet been publicly presented, and World Athletics states that they will be revealed closer to the beginning of the event.
Only the physical symbol of success is changing: results, placings and national identity remain part of the competition, and athletes will compete in national team uniforms. With the trophy and token, the organisers want to build an identity distinct from the Olympic Games and traditional world championships. Whether the new object will carry the same emotional weight for athletes as a medal is one of the questions that will only be answered by the reactions of the winners in Budapest.
New application combines results, video, athlete profiles and interactive content
World Athletics also plans to present a new mobile application in Budapest, intended for following the competition before, during and after the event. According to the official announcement, the application will combine live results, athlete stories and profiles, video content, interactive games, predictions and personalised notifications. Users should be able to customise the content according to the disciplines and athletes they follow.
The organisation describes the application as an important step in its digital transformation and an attempt to build a more direct relationship with the global audience. It will not be limited to the three days of competition but is conceived as a platform that will provide content throughout the rest of the year. For World Athletics, this creates an opportunity to retain audiences for longer, while it may make it easier for fans to follow athletes between major events. The value of the application will depend on its availability, data speed and content quality.
Budapest once again becomes the stage for global athletics
The National Athletics Centre in Budapest was already the central stage of the 2023 World Championships, and for the Ultimate Championship it will be adapted to a capacity of approximately 14,000 spectators, according to World Athletics data. Coe described Budapest as a natural partner for launching the new event, highlighting the city's experience in organising major international competitions. The inaugural edition is being held in a year without the Olympic Games or a traditional outdoor World Championships, thereby filling a gap in the four-year cycle.
The Ultimate Championship is expected to be held every two years, with the next edition planned for 2028, after the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. World Athletics thereby wants to ensure that every season ends with a high-profile global event, without relying exclusively on the Olympic cycle. The concept has openly been designed for television and digital platforms, but its success will depend on fundamental sporting elements: the participation of the biggest stars, the quality of the results, a clear qualification system and the audience's confidence that the title truly represents a meeting of the best.
The Budapest edition will therefore simultaneously be a major competition and a test of the entire new model. The black stadium infield, focused lighting, algorithmic predictions, mobile application, trophies without medals and record prize money may attract additional attention, but the event's long-term value will be determined by what happens on the track and in the field areas. From 11 to 13 September, it will be possible for the first time to assess whether athletics can condense its complexity into nine hours of programming while retaining sporting credibility and offering the audience a clearer, more intense and more modern experience.
Sources:
- World Athletics – official announcement on production, competition, digital and ceremonial innovations for the Ultimate Championship (link)
- World Athletics – official schedule of the three evening sessions and details of the semifinal and final formats and the 8-8-6-4 attempt system (link)
- World Athletics – invitation criteria, qualification period and method of filling individual and relay disciplines (link)
- World Athletics – overview of the prize fund, distribution of prize money and list of the first qualified athletes (link)
- World Athletics – information on the National Athletics Centre, capacity, biennial cycle and key competition figures (link)
- World Athletics – appointment of Tata Communications and HBS for the main production and Infront for international media rights (link)