Overview
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship 5,000m in Budapest in 12:59.24, edging Cole Hocker and taking one of the event’s $150,000 prizes.
- Hours after the victory Ingebrigtsen posted on Instagram that he will not run the 1,500m because he cannot risk back‑to‑back races while recovering from recent Achilles surgery.
- His withdrawal cancels the much‑anticipated first meeting in two years with mile world‑record holder Josh Kerr that organisers and fans had highlighted for the Ultimate Championship.
- The decision follows a tense season of public sparring in which Ingebrigtsen criticised rivals’ tactics, called some competitors harsh names, later apologised for his wording, and defended his calls for open debate about racing.
- The result underscores two pressures from the new invitation‑only Ultimate format: large guaranteed payouts and compressed schedules that force athletes to choose between short‑term prize opportunities and longer‑term recovery for 2027.