BUDAPEST – World and Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi finished third in the men’s 800m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship held on Sunday, September 13,2026 Budapest, Hungary. Wanyonyi was among Kenya’s biggest hopes of winning the title, following his impressive season. The Kenyan had displayed strong form in the 800m and won the Diamond League title the previous week, making him one of the leading contenders heading into the competition.
However, Wanyonyi faced strong competition from his long-time rivals, Canada’s Marco Arop and Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati. From the start of the race, Wanyonyi did not produce the blistering pace that fans had witnessed during the Diamond League final. Instead, he remained behind the leaders as Arop moved into the lead.
After the bell signalled the final lap, Arop increased the pace and appeared to be in a strong position to win. Wanyonyi, however, was unable to mount a serious challenge to the Canadian at that stage, as he struggled to produce enough speed to move into contention for the top position.
While Arop appeared to be heading towards victory, Sedjati had conserved his energy for the final stages of the race. The Algerian produced a powerful finishing kick and surged past Arop with less than 50 metres remaining to the finish line. Sedjati won the race in a time of 1:41.91, while Arop finished second in 1:42.28. Wanyonyi completed the podium in third place with a time of 1:42.44.
The result denied Wanyonyi the top prize of $150,000, equivalent to approximately KSh19.4 million. However, the Kenyan will still take home $40,000, approximately KSh5 million, for finishing third. For Wanyonyi, the third-place finish brings a long and demanding season to an end, one in which he continued to establish himself among the world’s leading 800m runners.
Although he missed out on the inaugural Ultimate Championship title, Wanyonyi remains one of Kenya’s biggest hopes in international athletics, particularly in the 800m. His performance this season also highlights the high level of competition in the event, with Arop and Sedjati continuing to rank among his major rivals on the global athletics stage.
