Josh Kerr of Great Britain claimed the Ultimate Champion title in the men’s 1,500 metres at the first edition of the new global athletics event in Budapest. The British athlete won in a time of three minutes and 29.35 seconds, ahead of American athlete Yared Nuguse. He earned $150,000 for the victory.
World Athletics awarded Kerr a special invitation to compete as he had not automatically qualified as the reigning world champion, Diamond League winner, or highly ranked in the world standings. The same invitation was received by Norwegian athlete Jakob Ingebrigtsen, but he withdrew from the competition after winning the 5,000 metres race.
Kerr was the world champion in 2023 but skipped the European Championships in Birmingham. When asked about the frequency of his appearances, he stated he is not a "robot" and aims for only a few key competitions to avoid injury. His career includes a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, a world indoor gold medal in the 3,000 metres, and the breaking of a 27-year-old world record in the mile at the London Diamond League.
In the women’s programme, Amy Hunt recorded the best time of the season in the 200 metres final, finishing fourth with a time of 22.10 seconds. A month prior to this competition, she had won four European gold medals. In the same discipline, victory went to Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who clocked 21.47 seconds. The 25-year-old athlete won the sprint double, also triumphing in the 100 metres race.
In the mixed 4x400 metres relay, Great Britain finished second, trailing behind the USA. Charlotte Henrich ran the anchor leg for the British team. The total prize fund for this inaugural event amounted to $10 million, equivalent to £7.4 million.
