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Ingebrigtsen and Kerr set for 1,500m showdown at inaugural World Championship

Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and British rival Josh Kerr have received special invitations to compete against each other at World Athletics' inaugural Ultimate Championship next month, reigniting their intense rivalry at the distance.

LSN Singapore · 25 August 2026

Ingebrigtsen and Kerr set for 1,500m showdown at inaugural World Championship

Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Ingebrigtsen and Kerr have been extended exceptional invitations to participate in the groundbreaking event, which marks the first staging of World Athletics' new Ultimate Championship format. The Norwegian distance runner and his British counterpart have established themselves as the premier 1,500-metre competitors on the global stage, with their head-to-head meetings consistently delivering compelling performances.

The two athletes have developed one of athletics' most compelling rivalries in recent years, trading victories and setting competitive benchmarks at major international competitions. Their participation in the elite championship underscores the calibre of competition being assembled for the inaugural event.

World Athletics has designed the Ultimate Championship as a showpiece competition featuring the world's top track and field athletes competing at the highest level. The meet will bring together elite performers across multiple disciplines for what organisers hope will become a marquee annual fixture in the international athletics calendar.

The 1,500-metre contest between Ingebrigtsen and Kerr is expected to be among the standout events of the championship, given the quality and competitive history both runners have demonstrated throughout their careers.