PuraVida Sports

Budapest Notebook: Ja’Kobe Tharp Just Paid Off His Auburn Tuition in just 12.94 Seconds!

Day One of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest produced an eccentric track-and-field showcase where Ja’Kobe Tharp casually cleared his tuition fees in 12.94 seconds for a $150,000 payday, while 20,557 international fans packed a stadium featuring a bizarre yet carbon-neutral, black-painted lawn. Ultimately, sprinting for massive early Christmas fortunes on a chemically breathable midnight infield proved to be a lucrative Friday night out. Catch up with the Budapest Notebook here, daily.......

Nairobi Waits: How Media Will Cover World Athletics Council Decision on 2029, 2031 World Athletics Championships Hosts

Nairobi and Africa await the possibility of the prestigious World Athletics Championships’ arrival on the continent for the first time ever with the naming of the 2029 and 2031 hosts scheduled to be announced here on Tuesday. World Athletics has scheduled a virtual media conference at which the decision of the World Athletics Council will be announced, a departure from the past where all bid teams were on the ground when the hosts were picked....

Black Grass, New Tech, Red Carpets Ignite Bold New Era for Track and Field in Budapest

Usain Bolt and Seb Coe launch a historic, multi-million dollar transformation of track and field at Budapest’s Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre. Breaking from long-held traditions, the revolutionary three-day spectacle introduces a bold black grass infield, smart javelins, real-time probability data, and a first-of-its-kind athlete lane draft. Elite stars like Alison Dos Santos, Boglárka Takács, and Femke Broeders-Bol embraced the vibrant, Hollywood-style red carpet media day on Thursday, setting a highly anticipated stage. With a record ten-million-dollar prize purse, the groundbreaking event aims to modernize the sport, captivate younger audiences, and crown the absolute best of the best....

CAA Boss Tuwei Sets Roadmap for Africa’s Athletics Elections

Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) elections to be held on March 18 in Eswatini following Interim President General Jackson Tuwei’s working visit to the CAA headquarters in Dakar where other critical dates in the electoral journey were also agreed upon....

Out Injured, Noah Lyles Trades Spikes for Showbiz Role in Grand Budapest Party

Despite having to cut short his 2026 season, withdrawing from both the Diamond League’s tail-end and World Athletics’ inaugural Ultimate Championship with injury, the climax of the 2026 track and field calendar will nonetheless offer a silver lining for multiple World and Olympic champion Noah Lyles with fans gleefully waiting to see the sprints superstar’s creative side. The flamboyant, 29-year-old American, who describes himself as “creative at heart,” has been roped in by World Athletics to serve some style and creativity onto the Ultimate Championship’s entertainment menu here in Budapest as the global track and field governing body moves to inject innovation into the sport....

Davis-Woodhall Ends Season After Car Crash

Olympic long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall has decided to end her 2026 season after suffering "severe concussion" in a car crash. Davis-Woodhall won long jump gold at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, before topping the podium at the Worlds in Tokyo a year later. She was involved in a "very scary" head-on collision in August when she was on her way to training....

‘We’re Sorry, Kipruto’: Organisers Apologize to Kenyan who Lost Race after Lead Car Mishap, Award him Equivalent of Winner’s Prize

The organizers of the Birell 10k Night Race Prague 2026 have issued an official apology following the incident at the final stretch of Saturday's race, during which the leading runner, Victor Kipruto Kiprono, made a wrong turn just before the finish (straight) line…...

Ultimate Budapest Guide: Complete Schedule and Event Companion

The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship gets under way on Friday, bringing around 400 athletes from more than 70 countries to Budapest for three nights of finals-only action and a record $10 million prize pot. Here's everything you need to know before it starts....

How Lead Car Mistake Cost Kenya’s Kipruto Sh450,000 Top Prize at Prague’s Birell 10K Night Race

Sport can be not only beautiful, but sometimes also extremely cruel. Before the final stretch of the Birell 10-kilometre Night Race, Kenya's Victor Kipruto Kiprono, who was headed for a commanding victory, followed the lead car instead of heading into the finish line, and before he could get back on course, he was passed not only by eventual winner Rodrigue Kwizera Kwizera of Spain, but also by second-placed compatriot Owen Korir Kapkama......

50 Years of the Memorial Van Damme: Where do Champions go When the Records are Gone?

From the tragic death of Ivo Van Damme to a Diamond League finale featuring the world's best, Brussels is celebrating five decades of athletics while its newest stars contemplate what will remain long after their own races are over...

Bolt, Budapest and Broken Playbook: How World Athletics is Trading Podium Q&As for Red Carpets and Live Lane Drafts

At the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, track and field is ditching sterile press briefings for an immersive, athlete-driven festival. Spearheaded by sprint icon Usain Bolt and World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, "The Day Before" replaces traditional Q&A podiums with red-carpet lifestyle arrivals, interactive VIP content studios, and a groundbreaking live 200m lane draft. By handing the spotlight and tactical choices directly to global stars like Letsile Tebogo and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, the sport is betting its future on unscripted drama, personality-led storytelling, and unprecedented media access designed to captivate a modern digital audience....

Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Agnes Ngetich Set to Headline Blockbuster World Road Running Championships

Global distance running icons Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Agnes Ngetich are set to spearhead a legendary showdown in Copenhagen following blockbuster squad announcements from Kenya, Great Britain, and Europe's elite. Defending champions Kenya have unleashed a lethal 16-strong roster featuring world record-holders and medal heavyweights to dominate the global stage. However, the African powerhouse faces a ferocious challenge from Europe’s finest distance stars, including a fiercely determined Italian contingent and Nordic track royalty. As world-class fields finalize for the half marathon, 5km, and road mile disciplines, the stage is officially set for an unforgettable weekend of historic racing drama....