Werro Beats Olympic Champion Hodgkinson to Win First-Ever Ultimate Championship 800m Title

Switzerland's Audrey Werro won the first-ever World Athletics Ultimate Championship women's 800 metres race on Saturday in Budapest, Hungary. The 22-year-old beat Britain's Keely Hodgkinson, who is the reigning Olympic champion. Werro crossed the finish line in one minute and 55.88 seconds, capping one of the best seasons any 800m runner has ever had.

Werro took the lead right from the start and never gave it up. Hodgkinson finished second with a time of 1:56.26, and Dutch runner Femke Broeders-Bol came in third. Broeders-Bol had stayed right beside Werro for most of the race but couldn't hold on in the final stretch.

The victory earned Werro $150,000 in prize money. The championship offered a total of $10 million in prizes, making it the richest prize pot in all of track and field. Winning that money added to an already amazing year for the young Swiss athlete.

This race was one of the most exciting events of the whole championship. Fans had been waiting all season to see these three runners compete head-to-head. All three of them had run faster times in 2025 than almost any woman in history.

Werro came into the race as the clear favorite. Earlier this season, she ran a time of 1:53.70, which is the third-fastest women's 800m time ever recorded. It was also the fastest time anyone had run in 43 years.

Hodgkinson is the Olympic gold medalist and holds the world indoor record for the 800m. Even though she dealt with some injuries during the outdoor season, she stayed competitive throughout the year. Broeders-Bol made the race even more interesting — she only switched to the 800m this year after previously running the 400m hurdles.

All three runners have been chasing one of the oldest records in sports. The women's 800m world record of 1:53.28 was set by Jarmila Kratochvilova of Czechoslovakia in July 1983, more than 40 years ago. No one has been able to break it since, even as training, science, and technology have all improved.

The record has also come with some controversy. Kratochvilova ran her record during a time when some athletes from Eastern European countries were secretly given drugs by their governments to help them perform better. Kratochvilova has always said she never used those drugs, but many people still question the record because of the era it came from.

This season has brought the strongest challenge to that record in a very long time. Werro, Hodgkinson, and Broeders-Bol have all run times that would have been the best in almost any other era in history. Their rivalry has brought new attention and excitement to the women's 800m event.

After her win on Saturday, Werro finished her season as the top woman in the 800m. Fans are now wondering whether she can finally break Kratochvilova's 43-year-old record next season. If this year is any guide, the answer just might be yes.