Sedjati Ends Wanyonyi’s Two-Year Winning Run to Claim $150,000 Ultimate 800m Crown

Djamel Sedjati produced a stunning upset at the Ultimate Championships in Budapest, defeating reigning world and Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi for the first time in more than two years to claim the men’s 800m title and the richest prize in World Athletics history.

The 27-year-old Algerian timed 1:41.91 to secure his first global title and pocket $150,000, twice the amount Wanyonyi earned for winning the world title in Tokyo last year.

Canada’s Marco Arop finished second in 1:42.28, while Wanyonyi had to settle for third in 1:42.44. American Brandon Miller was fourth in 1:42.54, while Italy’s Francesco Pernici set a national record of 1:42.67 in fifth.

Sedjati made his decisive move with about 25 metres remaining, powering past the field to win in a Hungarian all-comers’ record.

The victory ended a remarkable 10-race winning streak for Wanyonyi in their head-to-head meetings.

Sedjati had last beaten the Kenyan on July 7, 2024, when he ran 1:41.56 to win the Diamond League meeting in Paris. Wanyonyi then went on to win Olympic gold in Paris less than a month later and dominated their next nine encounters.

Sedjati has now finally broken that run on the biggest payday of his career.

The Algerian had previously won world silver medals in 2022 and 2025 and an Olympic bronze in 2024, but the Ultimate title represents his first global gold.

‘That was very tactical but also very fast, and I am really happy to have won this race today,’ said Sedjati. ‘This is the first title for me so I’m incredibly happy and grateful to everyone who supported me.’