World Athletics has launched a new competition, the Ultimate Championship, running from 11-13 September in Budapest and broadcast live on the BBC, designed to fill the void in a season without an Olympic Games or World Championships. Bankrolled by the sport's governing body and championed by president Sebastian Coe as an "incubator for change", the biennial event pits the best athletes against each other for record prize money, following the collapse of Michael Johnson's rival Grand Slam Track league last year due to financial problems.

The event features 28 finals across a condensed three-night schedule, open to reigning Olympic, world and Diamond League champions and top-ranked athletes, with a handful of exceptional invitations including Britain's Josh Kerr and Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the men's 1500m. Some disciplines, such as the 3,000m steeplechase, 10,000m, shot put and discus, have been excluded based on viewer engagement data. A total prize pot of $10m (£7.4m) is on offer, with individual event winners receiving $150,000 (£110,000), more than double last year's World Championships payout, and $75,000 and $40,000 for second and third place respectively.