The athletics world is set to enter a bold new era with the launch of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, commencing 11 September 2026 and running for three days, in Budapest, Hungary.
This highly anticipated event aims to establish a continuous annual cycle of elite global competitions, complementing the established Olympic Games and World Championships cycle, which has been compressed and altered over the past years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2025 marks an unprecedented five consecutive years of Olympics, World Championships, World Championships, Olympics, World Championships; and the World Athletics Ultimate Championships continues this in what would otherwise be an ‘off’ year globally.
With its debut less than two years away, the Championships promise to deliver an innovative and inclusive platform for athletes across both track and field disciplines – but not all – maintaining the momentum of athletics’ growing global appeal while also focusing on an enhanced enterainment product.
As this new fixture emerges, it joins an increasingly diverse athletics landscape, with complementary innovations such as Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track League and even Athletics Australia’s recently announced Short Track Championships, offering fresh perspectives on presenting the sport to modern audiences.
Another Global Stage for Athletics
The World Athletics Ultimate Championships are designed as a high intensity competition to showcase the full breadth of athletics, featuring events all championship track events from the 100m and 5000m (including hurdles but excluding the steeplechase) and some field events: long jump, high jump, pole vault and javelin; and triple jump (women) and hammer throw (men). Mixed 4x100m and 4x400m relays will also take centre stage.
The format is straight finals, with only the world’s best athletes invited. The current Olympic, World Champion and Diamon League Champion are guaranteed a start, with the next positions filled by World Rankings (given some added meaning to those rankings to the world’s top athletes, who usually qualify for major championships based on achieving a qualifying standard).
Expect big prize money, with the event also expected to take place in 2028 post Olympics.
The Grand Slam Track League: A Track-Centric Vision
Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track League offers a fascinating counterbalance. With a singular focus on track events — sprints, hurdles, and middle-distance races — it delivers high-stakes action in a compact, crowd-friendly format over four locations: three in the USA and one in Jamaica across April to June 2025. This streamlined approach is designed for modern audiences, prioritising drama and intensity over breadth; and head-to-head competition over absolute performance.
Athletes will compete twice within each 3-day meet within event categories, with a point-score applied to placings across the series to determine the ultimate champions:
Event Category First Event Second Event Short Sprints 100 m 200 m Short Hurdles 100 m hurdles (W)
110 m hurdles (M)100 m flat Long Sprints 200 m 400 m Long Hurdles 400 m hurdles 400 m flat Short Distance 800 m 1500 m Long Distance 3000 m 5000 m
Australia’s Jess Hull, Olympic 1500m silver medallist and 2000m world record holder, is the only Australian contracted to the series so far, which commences in Jamacia a week prior to the Australian Championships in Perth.
While the World Athletics Ultimate Championships aim to celebrate all aspects of athletics, the Grand Slam Track League demonstrates the potential of a concentrated format that places track events at the centre of the action. Together, these events can complement one another, catering to diverse audience preferences while collectively growing the sport.
Athletics Australia’s Short Track Championships: Innovating at Home
In Australia, innovation is also taking center stage. Athletics Australia’s inaugural Short Track Championships, set to debut in Sydney on 1 February 2025, brings a unique twist to the athletics calendar. Focused on the previous indoors-only 200m track format – but without one! – this event prioritises speed, agility, and fan engagement.
The one-day championships approved by World Athletics will host 60m and 60m hurdle events, along with high jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump and shot put.
The Short Track Championships fills a qualifying hole for ranking points not otherwise available to Australian athletes.
“It’s going to help us heaps with rankings points,” said Olympic 100m sprinter Josh Azzopardi.
“I know the rest of the world have their Indoor Nationals and they always have a few 60’s in their top five scores which contribute to world rankings for the 100m, so hopefully we can boost our scores,” he said.
The introduction of the event also signals a strategic play by Athletics Australia, as explained by new CEO, Simon Hollingsworth.
“Despite not having a short track or indoor facility in Australia, we have achieved considerable success at the global level and we’re hoping with the introduction of this meet, that this success can continue and grow.
“As the sport advances in this country, we look forward to working with state and territory governments to identify opportunities to introduce short-track facilities,” said Hollingsworth.
“We have no doubt that the introduction of a short track will be embraced by athletes and our fans. They would also have significant community benefits suitable for schools and junior sport.”
The Role of the Commonwealth Games
As these progressive initiatives unfold, the Commonwealth Games remain a key event for athletes and fans. After much uncertainty following the Victorian government’s withdrawal from hosting the 2026 event, the next Games are now set to commence in Glasgow, Scotland from 23 July.
The event offers a platform for Commonwealth nations to come together in celebration of sport in a multi-sport Games, and has been a developmental breeding ground for many Australian athletics greats. However, with financial and logistical challenges casting a shadow over its long-term future, events like the World Athletics Ultimate Championships and Short Track Championships provide either a complimentary, or perhaps, an alternative focus for Australia’s most elite within the global athletics calendar.
A Bright Future for Athletics
The launch of the World Athletics Ultimate Championships marks an exciting chapter for the sport, and along with private investment through the Grand Slam Track League and local changes such as Australia’s Short Track Championships offer new opportunities for athletes and fans alike. Each of these events adds to a landscape that maintains the sport’s traditions through pinnacle events of the Olympics and World Championships, while embracing the needs of a rapidly changing world.
Australian season set to commence
The Australian domestic season proper kicks off next month with the Zatopek:10, followed by a series of meets culminating in the Australian Championships in Perth in April. >> Learn more
