The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship, also known as the Ultimate Championship, will arguably be a turning point in the history of athletics. In June 2024, World Athletics introduced the biennial track and field event to fill the ‘empty’ year in the global calendar without an outdoor World Championship.
The first edition of the championships, which runs from tomorrow until Sunday in Budapest, Hungary, has the richest prize fund in track and field history.
However, the winner’s prize money is not the biggest in athletics.
Consisting of 28 events, the championships will draw 381 athletes from 65 nations, including defending Olympic and World champions, Diamond League winners, and top-ranked competitors.
World Athletics hopes the high-octane, fast-paced grand finale will attract younger fans and enhance television appeal, crowning the ultimate champion just one week after the Diamond League finals in Brussels, Belgium.
World Athletics has set aside a prize fund of $10 million (Sh1.3 billion), with each of the 26 individual winners receiving US$150,000 (Sh19.5 million). This is the largest prize fund for track and field events in athletics to date.
Second-place finishers will get $70,000 (Sh9 million). Third-placed athletes will get $40,000 (Sh5.1 million) and fourth-placed athletes $25,000 (Sh3.3 million).
The prize scheme covers the top 16 places, with the 16th-placed athlete receiving $2,000 (Sh258,800). The 1,500m, 5,000m and all field events will go straight to the final, while the 100m, 200m, 800m, women’s 100m hurdles and men’s 110m hurdles will start with two semi-finals of eight athletes each.
For the last six years, World Athletics has gradually increased the monetary rewards at championships, making a significant increase starting with the 2022 Eugene World Athletics Championships.
From left: AK president Jack Tuwei, World Athletics President Seb Coe and world 800m record holder David Rudisha at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on August 17, 2021.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
They also increased financial commitments across the 2024–2028 funding cycle and launched new, high-paying events such as the Ultimate Championship.
Gold medallists at the last three editions of the World Athletics Championships in Eugene (2022), Budapest (2023) and Tokyo (2025) pocketed $70,000 (Sh9 million) each. Silver medallists received $35,000 (Sh4.6m), and bronze medallists got $22,000 (Sh2.9m).
During the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships, gold medallists got $60,000 (Sh7.8m), silver medallists $30,000 (Sh3.9m), and bronze winners $20,000 (Sh2.6m). Diamond League organisers announced a 50 per cent increase in the prize fund for the new 2026 regular season and grand finale.
Kenya's Susan Lokayo Ejore competes in the women's 1,500m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, in March last year. New guidelines are urging broadcasters to focus on athletes' performance rather than sexualised camera angles.
Photo credit: Photo | Reuters
In a prize structure that covered the top eight places, the winners of the Diamond League finale used to pocket $30,000 (Sh3.9m), while second and third places received $12,000 (Sh1.6m) and $7,000 (Sh905,800) respectively.
The 2026 Diamond League grand finale had a richer prize fund. Winners got $60,000 (Sh7.8m), second place $20,000 (Sh2.6m), and third place $9,000 (Sh1.2m). Emmanuel Wanyonyi (800m) and Faith Cherotich (3,000m steeplechase) were the only Kenyan winners at the Brussels finals last weekend.
Regular season winners received $10,000 (Sh1.29 million) , second-place winners got $6,000 (Sh776,400), and third-place winners received $4,000 (Sh517,000), but these amounts increased to $20,000 (Sh2.6m) for the top prize, with the rest remaining the same.
For the first time, WA president Seb Coe announced in 2024 that athletics medallists at the Olympics would receive cash rewards.
Initially, only the gold medallists at the 2024 Paris Olympics were eligible for the reward of $50,000 (Sh6.5m).
Diana Wanza celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the women's 5,000m race during the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Kip Keino Classic at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, on April 24, 2026.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
However, this pales in comparison to the prizes awarded to individual winners of some of the world’s leading marathons.
The women-only Nagoya Marathon in Japan has the highest cash prize for the winner, at US$250,000 (32.4 million Kenyan shillings). Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui collected the prize money for her victory last year, while Ruth Chepngetich, also from Kenya, won in 2022 and 2023.
Tokyo Marathon champions in both the elite men’s and women’s divisions received $170,000 (Sh22 million), an increase from the $80,000 (Sh10.3 million) paid in 2025.
Boston Marathon offered $150,000 (Sh19.4 million) to each winner, while the Chicago and New York City Marathons gave $100,000 (Sh13 million) to each winner.
