Official: No Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Josh Kerr Ultimate Championship Clash as Norwegian Pulls Out of 1,500m

Norwegian middle-distance star Jakob Ingebrigtsen has pulled out of Sunday's 1,500m race at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, delaying the highly anticipated clash with his great rival, Josh Kerr.

Ingebrigtsen, who secured the men's 5,000m title on Friday at the new high-stakes event, cited concerns over racing twice in three days as he continues his recovery from Achilles surgery performed in February.

The 25-year-old, a double Olympic gold medallist, only returned to the track last month following a nearly year-long absence due to the injury.

"Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to go in back-to-back races," Ingebrigtsen explained in a video posted to Instagram on Saturday. "I would love for it to be different, and to be sharper in terms of recovery, but coming from a very difficult last two years with injury problems and Achilles surgery, I am forced to be more sensible than I would like to be."

He added, "Ultimately, it is about getting back into racing, getting back to 100% fitness, and thinking about 2027."

Ingebrigtsen, who made the final call after a treadmill test on Saturday, noted that simply competing at an elite level again had already surpassed his expectations after months of uncertainty. He electrified the capacity crowd on Friday with a powerful surge in the final 100 meters to claim victory in the 5,000m.

"Just looking back a short time ago, it is unbelievable that we have been able to get this far in 2026 and be able to be here," he reflected.

The withdrawal puts the rivalry between Ingebrigtsen and Britain's Kerr on hold once more, as the two have not competed against each other since 2024. Their war of words recently reignited after Ingebrigtsen won the European 5,000m title last month and criticized athletes for skipping major championships—a comment widely interpreted as a jab at Kerr, who chose not to defend his European title.

Kerr, who broke the world mile record in July, responded last week by welcoming the Norwegian's return but defended his selective race schedule. "I'm a human being at the end of the day. I'm not a robot," Kerr told reporters. "I think if you want to have a career that's 10 to 12 years long then you can't (race all the time)."

Despite Ingebrigtsen's absence, Sunday's 1,500m final will feature a world-class field. Kerr will be joined by Olympic champion Cole Hocker, Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse, reigning world champion Isaac Nader, and 2022 world champion Jake Wightman.