# Athletics governing body announces its own game-changing event

*By Simon | November 24, 2024*

![Athletics governing body announces its own game-changing event](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/coe-uc.jpg)

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![](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/11/coe-uc-jpg.webp)

## 󠀁[Athletics governing body announces its own game-changing event](https://globalkeirin.com/2024/11/athletics-governing-body-announces-its-own-game-changing-event/)󠁿

24 November 2024

Another major sports governing body has responded to the threat of external
innovation with innovation of its own.

We reported recently on how speed-skating had
[launched a Short Track World Tour](https://globalkeirin.com/2024/11/faced-by-korean-challenge-speed-skating-launches-a-new-world-tour/)
, following the proposed launch of an alternative competition outside the
governing body’s control.

This week, World Athletics has
[announced](https://worldathletics.org/news/press-releases/tata-communications-hbs-host-broadcaster-ultimate-championship-disciplines-announced)
a ‘game-changer’
[Ultimate Championship](https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-ultimate-championship)
event, with president Seb Coe promising to ‘bring our fans athletics like they
have never seen it before – with the best of the best athletes in our sport
competing head-to-head in a passion-fuelled, high octane, festival of sport,
with sound, light and innovation.’

![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AEI9A2Xm7aM/maxresdefault.jpg)

The event will bring 360 athletes to Budapest, Hungary for a ‘made-for-TV’ track
and field programme over three days in September 2026. They plan to hold
Ultimate Championship events every two years, in years when there is no World
Championship.

‘This is where the world’s greatest athletes settle the debate,’ it declares:
‘No heats, straight to finals.’

This comes just days after Michael Johnson’s track-only Grand Slam Track
confirmed the four host cities for its inaugural season in spring 2025. Since
the summer, Grand Slam Track has done well to maintain post-Olympics momentum,
with a drip-feed of updates including athlete announcements.

Ultimate Championship will have a ‘record-setting prize pot’ of US$ 10 million,
said to be the largest ever offered in track and field, with champions set to
receive US$150,000. This compares to US$100,000 for victory in a Grand Slam
Track event – although of course, Grand Slam Track will offer four opportunities
per year.

Athletes will wear national kit at Ultimate Championship, but unlike other
international competitions, there will be no cap on how many athletes from each
country can compete in each event.

World Athletics confirmed that a host broadcaster had already been appointed,
Tata Communications and HBS; and indicated that it intended to focus on
free-to-air platforms.
[InsideTheGames notes](https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1150226/coe-trusts-ultimate-championship-to)
that Grand Slam Track has yet to announce its broadcast plans, with Johnson
‘still seeking the ideal partner’.

World Athletics president Seb Coe is currently
[in contention to succeed Thomas Bach](https://globalkeirin.com/2024/09/ucis-lappartient-bids-for-top-ioc-job/)
as president of the International Olympic Committee – as is the president of
cycling’s governing body, David Lappartient.

**Categories:** Original
**Tags:** sportinnovation