The 2023 World Track and Field Championships will be held August 19-27 in Budapest, Hungary. It’s the most important meet of the year for most elite track and field athletes.
Below, you’ll find three key details for each day of the meet—TV and streaming info, the race schedule, and the three most enticing races of the day. We’ll update these categories every day of the meet so that you’re set to enjoy that day’s action. Of course, you’ll also want to follow our coverage, which will include flash results, Races - Places.
Here’s what you need to know.
What’s at Stake?
Oh, just the right to say, “I’m the best in the world in my event.” After an Olympic title, there is probably no better claim in track and field than that of world champion.
The meet is usually held every odd year (i.e., 2015, 2017, 2019). That schedule was scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed the 2020 Olympics to 2021, resulting in the planned 2021 world championships being held last year. As a result, 2023 is the second of four consecutive years (followed by the 2024 Olympics and 2025 worlds) with a global championship. Richardson and Thomas Medal in 200 Meters Why Trust Us.
Prize money in Budapest runs from $70,000 for a gold medal down to $5,000 for eighth place. A high placing is also often lucrative in the form of bonuses from sponsors and an improved negotiating stance for appearance fees and subsequent sponsorships.
How to Watch the World Track and Field Championships (Day 9/August 27)
U.S. broadcast coverage will be split among NBC, CNBC, USA Network, and Peacock. (Shoes & Gear.) Most races will be streamed live on Peacock. Budapest is on Central European Time, which is six hours ahead of Eastern Time and nine hours ahead of Pacific Time.
Day 9 action will be shown on Peacock from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern. NBC will have coverage from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern, and CNBC will have coverage from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern.
Full Race Schedule (Eastern Time)
2:10 p.m.—Men’s 5,000 meters final
2:45 p.m.—Women’s 800 meters final
3:10 p.m.—Women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final
3:37 p.m.—Men’s 4 x 400-meter relay final
3:47 p.m.—Women’s 4 x 400-meter final
Three Key Races Sunday
Men’s 5,000 meters final (2:10 p.m. ET)
This field is absolutely loaded. Four men have run 12:45 or faster—all personal bests—this year. Plus, there’s the defending champion, Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, again seeking to salvage a disappointing loss in the 1500; last year’s silver (Jacob Krop of Kenya) and bronze (Oscar Chelimo of Uganda) medalists; and three-time global medalist Paul Chelimo of the United States.
The start-time temperature is forecast to be almost 90. So it’s unlikely the pure 5K/10K guys will try to go fast from the gun to blunt Ingebrigtsen’s miler kick. What’s more likely is that a front runner like Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia, fastest in the world this year, will inject some serious pace with five or six laps to go. If such a move isn’t sustained, there may well be six to eight men in contention at the bell.
In addition to Ingebrigtsen, those who might fare best with a blazing last 800 meters include 1500-meter bronze medalist Narve Nordås of Norway, U.S. champ Abdihamid Nur, and his training partner Luis Grijalva of Guatemala. Our sleeper pick for the win: Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia. He won world silver back in 2013 and Olympic bronze in 2016. He reemerged this year at age 29 as one of those sub-12:45 PR setters and knows how to get it done on the biggest stage.
Women’s 800 meters final (2:45 p.m. ET)
How will reigning world and Olympic champion Athing Mu fare?
It’s been an odd year for her and her fans. Earlier in the season, she withdrew from more meets than she ran. Just this month, her coach publicly mused whether she would defend her title or go on vacation. And Mu has spoken openly about the pressure she feels after her swift ascent to international stardom.
Her semifinal on Friday added to the intrigue. She recovered from a stumble that was almost a crash 500 meters in to get the second automatic qualifier spot. But it must be noted that last year’s bronze medalist, Mary Moraa of Kenya, appeared to have a good chance of beating Mu in that race anyway.
Moraa shares Mu’s 400-meter speed. In the final, she might well do as she did in her semi and deny Mu the lead at 200 meters. Mu won her two global titles by leading the final 650 meters. She’s unused to running in the chase pack, and her long legs and long back kick could, as happened in her semi, prove troublesome in what will be an even more tightly bunched pack.
Brit Keely Hodgkinson has been second to Mu at worlds and the Olympics. She’s the fastest in the world this year. If Moraa and Mu get in a battle over who leads, Hodgkinson is likely to sit just off the pace and conserve her energy for the final straight.
U.S. champ Nia Akins looked superb in the rounds and is a medal contender in a relatively slow race. The same is true of the third American in the field, two-time global medalist Raevyn Rogers.
Men’s and women’s 4 x 400-meter relay finals (3:37 p.m./3:47 p.m. ET)
Heading into the final day of competition, the U.S. team was dominating the medal count, with 11 golds and 27 total medals. These relays should have added two more to the U.S. tally, but the women were disqualified for passing the baton outside of the exchange zone in their qualifying heat on Saturday. Still, you should watch both races. They’re a fun, exciting way to close out the meet.
Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including World Records Could Fall at World Champs, Advanced Marathoning, and Heres what you need to know. Why Trust Us Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
