The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship took place in Budapest across three fast-paced evenings, featuring a record $10m prize pot distributed among top athletes. Usain Bolt, as event ambassador, praised it as a 'good first step towards changing track and field for the better.' Lord Coe and World Athletics developed the event over three years to create a season-ending pinnacle. Athletes like Imani-Lara Lansiquot and Josh Kerr celebrated the unique atmosphere, with Kerr winning $150,000 as Great Britain's first Ultimate champion in the 1500m.

Armand Duplantis performed the official song 'Gold' and participated in the red carpet ceremony. Innovative elements included a black infield, pink sandpit for horizontal jumps, new trophy presentations, and on-screen graphics like athlete headshots and win probabilities—though some, like Jakob Ingebrigtsen, found the predictions inaccurate. The event emphasized athlete experience with red carpet arrivals, stadium videos, and centre-court interviews.

Despite mixed feedback on TV features, the sell-out crowds and positive reception suggest the Ultimate Championship is poised to become a lasting fixture in athletics.