$10m on line at inaugural Ultimate Championship

One trophy, no medals. Ten million dollars. A red carpet. A black infield. Noah Lyles as MC. Armand Duplantis singing before eyeing another world record.

This athletics season was set to be the first since the pandemic which did not culminate in an Olympic Games or World Championships.

To bridge that gap, the sport's governing body has devised a new competition.

Across three days of competition in Budapest, live on the BBC from 11-13 September, the world's top athletes will compete for record prize money and a new title.

A new event pitching the best against the best, with increased financial commitments. You may be thinking: 'Haven't we been here before?'

Last year, Michael Johnson's inaugural Grand Slam Track league attempted to maintain focus on the sport following Paris 2024 while offering lucrative prize money, but ended after encountering serious financial issues.

This innovative, biennial format is bankrolled by World Athletics - and president Sebastian Coe has said he hopes to use it as an "incubator for change" which will shape the future of the sport's established World Championships.

So, how does the Ultimate Championship work, what do the athletes think, and is it needed? Here is everything you need to know.