Josh Kerr of Great Britain claimed victory in the men's 1500-meter race at the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, earning the title of Ultimate Champion. Kerr edged out Australian runner Cameron Myers on the final straight, completing the race in 3 minutes, 29.35 seconds. The win came with a prize of 150,000 US Dollars (£110,828), adding to Kerr's growing list of achievements this year, which include the world indoor 3000m and Commonwealth mile titles. Kerr had previously set a new mile world record in July, making him one of the fastest milers in history. He also competed in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he represented his home nation. The World Athletics Ultimate Championships, held for the first time in Budapest, had been highly anticipated as a showdown between Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen, a Norwegian athlete and former rival. The two had not faced each other in a 1500m race outdoors since September 2024. Ingebrigtsen, who had been sidelined for 11 months due to surgery on a long-standing Achilles injury, made a return at the European Championships in Birmingham last month, where he successfully defended his 5000m title. However, he decided not to compete in the 1500m at the Ultimate Championships, stating it would be "one race too many." Both Kerr and Ingebrigtsen received special exemptions to compete in Budapest, which was the same stadium where Kerr narrowly beat Ingebrigtsen to win the world title in 2023. During the race, Kerr initially appeared to be boxed in by other runners, but he managed to find a gap and moved up to third place by the 900-meter mark. He took the lead for the first time on the back straight of the final lap. Although Myers made a strong push on the home straight, Kerr fulfilled his promise from the previous week when he said, "I won't lose," and secured the victory by 0.33 seconds.