New $150,000 prize meet launches in Budapest, reshaping track athletics
A three-day Ultimate Championships meet in Budapest offers $150,000 top prizes, drawing Olympic and world champions and highlighting a shift toward higher athlete pay.
The Ultimate Championships debuted in Budapest with a $150,000 prize for each event winner, marking a significant increase over typical track payouts. The two-year-old meet, scheduled to recur biennially, includes 28 disciplines and features top talent such as Sha'Carri Richardson, Gabby Thomas, Mondo Duplantis and Jacory Patterson, whose viral rise from a UPS night shift to a Nike deal underscores the event’s appeal. Organisers hope the high-stakes format will remedy track’s chronic under-funding, contrasting with the $10,000-$20,000 rewards of the Diamond League.
World Athletics, buoyed by a 15% revenue rise in 2025, intends to allocate $50 million in prize money between 2024 and 2028. Coaches and athletes, including Lonnie Greene and Noah Lyles, argue that comparable earnings to other major sports are essential for the sport’s growth. Additional marketing initiatives, such as athlete-focused trading cards and new coffee brands, aim to create supplemental revenue streams beyond prize money.
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