World Athletics confirmed a major commercial partnership on 4 August 2026, naming Nissin Foods Europe as an official global supplier of the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship.
The internationally recognised food company will support the new three-day athletics competition, which is scheduled to take place at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary, from 11 to 13 September 2026.
The Ultimate Championship is being introduced as a premium season-ending event featuring many of the world’s leading track-and-field athletes. Olympic champions, world champions, Diamond League winners and highly ranked competitors will meet in a condensed competition designed to determine the leading performers of the 2026 season.
Nissin Foods Europe’s appointment represents an important commercial development for the championship as World Athletics builds its partnership network ahead of the inaugural event. As an official global supplier, the company will be associated with the competition’s international branding and promotional activities.
The partnership brings together a global food company and an event that World Athletics hopes will become one of the most valuable and widely followed competitions on the international athletics calendar.
The Ultimate Championship will feature a faster format than traditional global athletics tournaments. Competition will be concentrated across three evening sessions, each lasting approximately three hours.
Instead of holding several rounds over an extended period, many disciplines will move quickly towards their decisive stages. Field events will generally feature eight competitors, while individual track events may include up to 16 athletes competing through semi-finals and finals.
The event will also carry a total prize fund of US$10 million—the largest prize purse announced for a single track-and-field competition. Winners of individual events are expected to receive US$150,000 each.
The record financial rewards are intended to attract the sport’s biggest stars while providing athletes with greater earning opportunities outside the Olympic Games and traditional World Athletics Championships.
Budapest’s National Athletics Centre was selected to host the inaugural competition after successfully staging the 2023 World Athletics Championships. The venue will once again welcome leading athletes and spectators from different parts of the world.
World Athletics has designed the Ultimate Championship to deliver a more concentrated and television-friendly experience. The governing body hopes the shorter programme, major financial rewards and focus on elite competitors will attract both established athletics supporters and younger digital audiences.
The championship is also expected to feature several innovations in presentation, athlete introductions and broadcasting. These changes form part of World Athletics’ wider effort to modernise the sport and increase its visibility between Olympic and conventional World Championship seasons.
Nissin Foods Europe’s participation adds another major international brand to the preparations for the Budapest event. Commercial suppliers and sponsors provide financial, promotional and operational support that can help global competitions reach larger audiences.
