Noah Lyles, Faith Kipyegon and 5 Other Star Names Set to Miss Ultimate Championship

The entry list for the first-ever World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest was released Monday, but several high-profile athletes will be absent.

Injuries, illness and other circumstances have forced big stars to end their seasons early, or skip the entire campaign, which robs fans an opportunity to watch them at the event, where winners of each discipline will walk away with $150,000 (Ksh19.4 million).

Ahead of the September 11-13 track and field event, Pulse Sports highlights the star names who will not be in Budapest.

Olympics 100m champion Noah Lyles announced on Saturday that he would not race again this season. Lyles has been managing an injury since pulling up in the 200m final at the USA Track and Field Championships.

What was first described as a cramp was later revealed to be a minor hamstring strain. While rehabilitation was going well, the initial injury led to other complications.

Lyles had been in peak form before the injury, having matched his personal best and set a world-leading time of 9.79 seconds to win the 100m title at the same championships.

Multiple world and Olympics champion Faith Kipyegon is another star name set to miss the inaugural event after suffering a hamstring injury.

Kipyegon has been dealing with the problem since June and after running in a couple of Diamond League races through the pain, she decided to end her season last month to focus on her recovery.

World 800m champion Lilian Odira announced she would skip both the Ultimate Championship and the Athlos meet in London, as she has not fully recovered from a recent illness.

"I promise you I am still smiling, but the last few weeks have been so challenging," Odira shared on social media. "Since coming back to Nairobi a few weeks ago, I have yet to fully recover... The women’s 800m is so amazing right now, and I am just really heartbroken not to be on those start lines with you."

American Olympic long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall also withdrew from the event after being involved in a car accident in August.

Davis-Woodhall sustained a serious concussion in a head-on collision when another driver veered into her lane. After initially hoping to compete in Budapest, she confirmed on Instagram that she was prioritising her health.

"I did not think I’d be making this post," Davis-Woodhall wrote. "After careful consideration with my team, we have decided to end the 2026 season. This one hurts. I’m sad, disappointed and just hurt by all of it. I know this has to be part of my story."

Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala had also earned his place at the event after a good Diamond League season but is set to miss out after he ended his season last month after suffering a severe foot injury.

Omanyala is another top name who will not be on the line for the 100m, robbing Kenyans of a top contender.

As an Olympics and world champion, Beatrice Chebet was already assured of her ticket long ago but her decision to take a year out to have a baby means the women’s 5,000m race in Budapest will not have the most dominant athlete of the last two years.

Multiple world and Olympics 400m hurdles champion Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone will also not be in Budapest for the big-paying event.

Like Chebet, Mclaughlin-Levrone also took maternity leave and has not featured at all this year, her potential early return projected to be in 2027.