Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Brazil's Alison dos Santos heads into the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest as the men's 400m hurdles world record holder, having set a time of 45.80 seconds at the Wanda Diamond League in Zurich on 27 August. This performance surpassed the previous world record of 45.94 seconds set by Norway's Karsten Warholm in 2021.
Dos Santos also secured the Diamond League title in 2026 by winning in Brussels. Earlier in the season, he held a world lead of 46.43 seconds and won all four head-to-head races against Warholm before the Zurich meeting.
Karsten Warholm, the 2023 world champion and three-time world champion overall, has recorded competitive times this season, including 46.52 seconds in Silesia and victories at the London Diamond League and European Championships, earning his fourth consecutive continental men's 400m hurdles title. Warholm is also the reigning champion in Budapest after winning his third world crown there.
US athlete Rai Benjamin, the Olympic and world champion, is expected to challenge both Dos Santos and Warholm. Benjamin has focused on the 400m flat in 2026 but aims to compete for a 400m and 400m hurdles double at the event. In his only hurdles race this year, he won with a time of 46.67 seconds at a promotional event.
The 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship features the top three fastest 400m hurdlers in history, creating anticipation for potentially historic performances in Budapest.