Adeleke, English and Mawdsley Confirmed for Inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest
Three Irish athletes — Rhasidat Adeleke, Mark English, and Sharlene Mawdsley — have been confirmed for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, Hungary, from September 11 to 13, with the new invitational event featuring the world's top-ranked athletes competing for a $10 million prize purse in what promises to be the most prestigious end-of-season competition in the athletics calendar and a fitting conclusion to what has been an outstanding year for Irish track and field.
Background
The World Athletics Ultimate Championships is a new biennial event established by World Athletics to fill the gap in the calendar in years without a standard World Athletics Championship. Held at the Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre in Budapest, the inaugural edition features 26 individual events and two relays, with participants selected on the basis of their world rankings throughout the 2026 outdoor season. The event is designed to bring together the very best athletes in the world for a high-stakes, end-of-season showdown, with the "Ultimate Champion" title and trophy — rather than traditional medals — on offer to the winners.
Ireland's qualification for the event is a reflection of the remarkable progress that Irish athletics has made in recent years. The country's track and field programme has been transformed by a combination of investment, coaching development, and the emergence of a generation of genuinely world-class athletes. The European Athletics Championships in mid-August 2026 provided further evidence of this progress, with Irish athletes performing strongly across multiple events.
Rhasidat Adeleke is the most high-profile of the three Irish qualifiers. The Dublin-born, Texas-raised sprinter has been one of the most exciting athletes in world athletics over the past two years, combining exceptional natural talent with a fierce competitive instinct that has made her a genuine contender at the highest level. Her qualification for the women's 200m at the Ultimate Championships is a testament to the consistency of her performances throughout the 2026 season.
Key Developments
Adeleke will compete in the women's 200m, an event in which she has established herself as one of the top performers in the world. Her season has included a series of impressive performances at Diamond League meetings across Europe and the United States, and she arrives in Budapest in excellent form. The competition in the 200m will be fierce, with several of the world's fastest women also in the field, but Adeleke's ability to perform under pressure makes her a genuine medal contender.
Mark English, the Donegal-born 800m specialist, will compete in the men's 800m — an event in which he has been one of the most consistent performers in Europe over the past several years. English's combination of tactical intelligence and finishing speed makes him dangerous in any field, and his experience of competing at the highest level — including at the Olympic Games and World Championships — will be a significant asset in Budapest.
Sharlene Mawdsley, the Newport, County Tipperary native who competes in the women's 400m, completes the Irish trio. Mawdsley has had an outstanding 2026 season, setting personal bests and performing consistently at international level. Her qualification for the Ultimate Championships is a reward for years of dedicated training and a reflection of the depth of talent that Irish athletics now possesses in the sprints and middle distances.
Why It Matters
The participation of three Irish athletes in the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships is a significant moment for Irish athletics. The event is designed to be the most prestigious end-of-season competition in the sport, and Ireland's presence in the field — alongside the world's very best athletes — is a powerful statement about the progress the country has made in track and field. For Adeleke in particular, the Ultimate Championships represents an opportunity to confirm her status as one of the world's elite sprinters on the biggest possible stage. Her performances in Budapest will be watched closely by athletics fans across Ireland and beyond, and a strong result would further cement her reputation as one of the most exciting athletes of her generation. The event also matters for the broader development of Irish athletics, as the visibility and inspiration provided by world-class performances at major championships is a crucial driver of participation and talent development at grassroots level.
Local Impact
The three Irish qualifiers come from different parts of the country — Adeleke from Dublin, English from Donegal, and Mawdsley from Tipperary — reflecting the geographic spread of Irish athletics talent. Their participation in Budapest will be followed closely by athletics clubs and schools across the country, and Athletics Ireland has indicated that it will use the event as an opportunity to promote the sport to young people. The performances of Adeleke, English, and Mawdsley in Budapest will also have implications for the funding and support that Irish athletics receives from Sport Ireland, as strong results at major international events are a key factor in the allocation of high-performance resources.
What's Next
The World Athletics Ultimate Championships takes place in Budapest from September 11 to 13. Adeleke is scheduled to compete in the women's 200m, English in the men's 800m, and Mawdsley in the women's 400m. The event will be broadcast live on RTÉ and on the World Athletics streaming platform. Following the Ultimate Championships, the three athletes are expected to return to Ireland for a period of rest and recovery before beginning their preparations for the 2027 indoor season.
