A dominant run in Budapest capped a remarkable recovery from Achilles surgery — even though the Norwegian admits the 5000m still isn't his favourite event.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen has not been at his absolute best this year following Achilles surgery in February, but when he reflects on his career he will surely take pride in rescuing an injury-hit 2026 with firstly a European 5000m and, on Friday (Sept 11) in Budapest, an emphatic victory in the 5000m at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship.

The Norwegian had to work hard for his victory as he broke 13 minutes for the first time in five years – with 12:59.24 – surging away from the field in the home straight, as Americans Cole Hocker and Parker Wolfe finished a well beaten second and third, just outside 13 minutes.

It is a remarkable comeback given that Ingebrigtsen's brother and coach Henrik told AW after the race that he didn't think he would race at all this year due to the surgery. Henrik added that the Achilles pain was so bad at this time last year, Jakob could not tolerate wearing socks from day to day. Plus, the 25-year-old is still doing rehab style exercises to keep on top of the Achilles issues.

“I’m definitely better than I was last weekend and last weekend I was definitely better than the weekend before," he told AW when asked about his fitness levels in Budapest.

"These things mechanically take time and you need to learn to trust your legs again and just feel good. My session on Sunday and Tuesday leading into this was maybe the first time since indoors 2025 that I’ve been able to do that."

Expanding on the race to get fit for this season's big races, he added: “You can do quite a lot in 12 months’ time but doing it in two or three months is a completely different ball game. I’ve been forced not to have any plan or anything to work towards.

"I’ve just tried to maximise every session and not get my hopes up in terms of competing. But it’s been incredible what we’ve been able to do in the last two or three months. You also can’t really fake fitness. You have to put in the work.”

Ingebrigtsen will now make a decision over whether to race in the 1500m against the in-form Josh Kerr, plus Hocker and others on Sunday in Budapest. In recent weeks he has not been as successful on the Diamond League circuit over the metric mile and is clearly more at home over 12 and a half laps, although he says he doesn't particularly enjoy the event due to the prolonged pain involved.

“I enjoy winning them!" he says, "but up until that point it’s a very difficult event to manage. Historically the athletes who are successful in the 5000m, most of them are legends so it says a lot about the calibre of the runners who do the 5000m.”

If Ingebrigtsen continues his winning habit he may well one day be described as an 'Ultimate Legend' like Usain Bolt, who was here in Budapest as an ambassadorial role. The sprints icon must have enjoyed the action, with flashing lights and pyrotechnics breaking up the athletics action. There was also a sold-out crowd of just over 20,000 here to watch the first of the three-day event unfold.

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Further winners on Friday – all of whom earned a generous $150,000 prize – included Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine with 1.99m in the women's high jump, Mondo Duplantis of Sweden bounced back from injury to take the men's pole vault with 6.20m and Merlin Hummel of Germany won the men's hammer with 81.26m to deny local favourite Bence Halász, the Hungarian finishing runner-up.

Larissa Iapichino of Italy won the women's long jump with 6.90m (0.6) in the chilly conditions as Britain's Jazmin Sawyers completed the best season of her life to add an Ultimate runner-up spot – with 6.78m (0.9) – to add to her Commonwealth Games gold and European Champs silver.

In the sprint hurdles finals, victories went to this season's world record-breakers. Ja'Kobe Tharp ran 12.94 to beat fellow American Cordell Tinch by one hundredth of a second in the men's race, while Masai Russell ran 12.22 to win the women's race.

The mixed 4x100m saw the British team of Romell Glave, Imani Lansiquot, Jeremiah Azu and Success Eduan take bronze in a race won by the United States in 39.64 from Jamaica.

In the heats, Keely Hodgkinson, Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol all progressed to the final with the Olympic champion Hodgkinson telling AW she was glad to be back racing after a break since the European Championships and the low temperatures made her feel at home, as it was like a typically cool late-summer evening in Manchester.