ultimate

It’s relatively easy to find USC and UCLA fans in Southern California, but where can proud Georgia, Michigan, Florida or Alabama fans go to watch games in the Los Angeles area with like-minded sports expats?

Look no further than the Los Angeles Times’ ultimate SoCal college football sports bar guide.

If you’re an alum or fan of teams from the Power Four conferences — the ACC and ally Notre Dame, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC — this guide will lead you to your tribe. No longer will you be the only person cheering and clapping at the bar when Oklahoma scores a touchdown or walk into a bar wearing Michigan blue and only seeing others decked out in Ohio State gear.

Find your home away from home on game day.

Scroll down or filter through location to find where fan bases for most Power 4 schools hang out during the game.

When the weather hots up, wild swimming is sure to cool you down – and is completely free to enjoy. Mum of two Hannah Britt shares her top tips for having a splashing good time, and staying safe

When the weather reaches boiling point, there’s not many outdoor activities that appeal. So when I tell you that our family of four spent most of our time waist deep in a river, it is no lie. And I’m here to tell you that its easier than you think to get the whole family involved.

The location

For us, France is unbeatable for wild swimming. It offers an abundance of clean, warm, and legally accessible natural waterways, lakes, and gorges. France has thousands of miles of pristine rivers and over 1,300 official inland river bathing sites, supported by major mountain ranges like the Alps, Pyrenees, and the Jura that feed crystal-clear water year-round. You can even bathe in some parts of the Seine in Paris. In short, almost anywhere you go, you’ll find a place to dip.

The kit

You truly don’t need much to become a wild swimmer apart from a car (more on this later), swimwear, SPF, microfibre towels, a picnic blanket and une baguette. If you’re feeling professional, water shoes are a coup too, as many river beaches are stony. But if I were to recommend one thing, it would be the Wild Swimming France book. With over 1000 recommended and proven safe swim spots all around the country, it’s the Bible of wild swimming, as you guessed it, in France.

Where we stayed

The perfect place to stay when you want to indulge in a week or so of wild swimming is somewhere, er, wild. And this is because, by staying somewhere in the middle of nowhere, you are encouraged to venture out to explore what is nearby.

This summer, we chose a stone farmhouse in Saint-Saveur-de-Cruzieres on Airbnb, which was perfectly located nearby some amazing swimming spots. The 5-hectare estate is split into two separate living areas – a large house with three four bedrooms and a master kitchen, and a smaller house with one bedroom upstairs and a kitchen diner downstairs. To the rear, a stunning swimming pool enjoyed views upon views upon views of the fields and hills beyond the grounds. The jewel in its crown was indeed the location. Peaceful, idyllic… it was hard to tear ourselves away.

But when we did, to be found close by was a whole host of wild swims. Wild swimming at the Pont du Gard lets you bathe in the clear, cool waters of the Gardon River directly beneath a 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct. Guinguette La Frigoulette is a family-run riverside restaurant operating since 1969 located in Saint-André-de-Roquepertuis within the scenic Gorges de la Cèze and serves as the perfect casual base for a day of wild swimming along the Cèze River.

Also a restaurant-come-swim-spot, Moulin du Roc Tombe (often referred to as Le Roc Tombe) is a scenic river wild swimming spot positioned on the Cèze river near Saint-Ambroix. Local canoeing routes on the Cèze often stop here for a swim near the old mill. Finally, wild swimming at Vallon Pont d’Arc in the Ardèche region centres around the magnificent 34-meter-high natural limestone arch of the Pont d’Arc, offering crystal-clear, refreshing emerald water sandy river beaches, and plenty of rocks to jump from.

Getting around

To get truly wild, you need a car. So we hired one for our week in France with Sixt. We chose a BMW X5, with a boot big enough to hold our wild swimming gear, and to climb inside when there was nowhere else to change.

A 4×4, it was able to handle rough terrain, which we encountered on occasion heading down dirt tracks and into makeshift car parks at some of the more remote wild swimming locations. The advisers at Sixt were more than happy to help when we told them what we needed, and our “Beema” became the fifth family member while in France.

Stay safe

Record breaking lake swimmer Neil Gilson shares his advice for safe swimming:

• *Before every swim, assess the water temperature, weather, wind, currents and the conditions across the route. Only swim when they advise that it is safe to do so.
• Never underestimate open water. Even on a hot day, the water can be dangerously cold and conditions can change very quickly.
• Always swim with others, choose a safe location, and never take unnecessary risks.

*To find a home from home in France, see Airbnb; for car hire, see Sixt

PROPER pubs have propped up British life for centuries – safe, soothing sanctuaries from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

Some call them ‘spit and sawdust’ boozers, others call them ‘Old Man’ pubs.

But you get the idea – no fuss. No frills.

They don’t complicate or change things. Just a quiet well-kept pint, a vacant stare into the middle distance, a nice chat and that comforting feeling that everything will probably be alright.

In a proper pub there’s no piped ‘muzak’, no Sky Sports swooshing at you, no cutlery or cloths on the tables, and absolutely no QR codes.

There might be a dog. There should be a piano. If there’s a dog playing a piano, that’s even better.

Read more on travel inspo

CHEAP BREAKS

UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks and pubs

TRAVEL TIP

The £2.99 SIM hack that can save Brits HUNDREDS abroad

And once you’re in, there should be no real reason to ever leave.

I make up half of Thinking Drinkers, and we have searched high and low for the best boozers around, so here are my top 10 Proper Pubs that every passionate pub-goer should visit:

The Oxford Bar, Edinburgh

Edinburgh is packed with decent locals. But few do proper, no-nonsense pub quite like The Oxford, a favourite of crime writer Ian Rankin and his hard-boiled detective Inspector Rebus.

There’s none of the tartan tat or tourist rubbish here. Just a solid mix of locals, writers and drinkers, all rubbing along nicely.

Grab a stool, order a beer or a whisky, and settle in. It’s exactly what a pub should be.

A pint here is likely to set you back between £4.50 and £6, and there’s plenty of things to do nearby including the National Galleries of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle.

Southampton Arms, North London

A sign outside proudly declares “Ale. Cider. Meat” – and that’s exactly what you get at this cracking Kentish Town boozer.

The 16 taps pour only beer and cider from genuinely independent producers – but don’t panic, this is not a Gen Z hipster hangout or a pub for beer bores who won’t stop talking to you about hops.

Inside you’ll find tables, chairs, a piano and plates of meat (and cheese). There’s no Wi-Fi and no bookings.

A pint here costs from £4.97, which is definitely a welcome price in London – and nearby, make sure to visitHampsteadd Heath for a nice autumnal walk.

The Dyffryn Arms, Wales

Perched on the edge of the Preseli Hills, this place is absurdly old-fashioned and basic.

Known simply as ‘Bessie’s’, after its legendary landlady, it’s less a pub and more a tiny front room.

Ring the bell, the hatch opens, and you’re served one beer and one beer only — Bass.

Inside there are a few chairs, a couple of tables and a portrait of a youthful Queen Elizabeth.

Outside, just a bench. The locals chat in Welsh. There’s no toilet. Yet somehow, it’s perfect.

A pint here will set you back between £4 and £5.50, and in the surrounding are, a head off on a riverside walk or take a short drive to the coastal town of Fishguard.

Birch Hall Inn, North Yorkshire

Tiny but brilliant, this white-washed North York Moors pub is officially the smallest in Yorkshire — and yet huge in character.

The boozer is split into two very basic rooms with a proper old-school sweet shop between them.

Hikers and holidaymakers rub elbows here over a range of well-kept ales, pork pies, pickles, stotties and the pub’s famous “beer cake”.

A pint here will cost you between £4 and £5.50, and in the surrounding area, take a walk to Beck Hole – a pretty village with woodland walks to small ponds and waterfalls.

Wenlock Arms, East London

While all the streets around it were getting levelled by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War, The Wenlock Arms wasn’t having any of it – the bombs didn’t dare touch it.

And, from the looks of things, neither has anyone else.

Built in 1836, this unwaveringly traditional East End institution has a reassuringly retro feel with some of the best beer the British isles has to offer.

A pint at this watering hole usually costs between £4.50 and £5.80, and if you are looking for something else to do in the area, head for a wander along the Regent’s Canal Towpath.

The Evening Star, Brighton

Just a one-minute walk from Brighton train station, this cosy city centre local is a theme pub…

The theme is sitting down and drinking really nice beer.

Dating back to 1854, there’s not much here beyond some chairs, some tables and a small bar serving a range of really good independent ales, ciders and lagers.

The cheapest pint here will cost you £4.80 (Burning Sky – Plateau), and nearby there’s the Brighton Toy and Model Museum or you can walk to the beach.

Peveril Of the Peak, Manchester

Peveril of the Peak was once used as a brothel by American soldiers during the Second World War.

It sits defiantly wedged amid modern office blocks and new-fangled flats, with a classic green-tiled exterior.

As for the inside, the historic triangular tavern is perhaps the most beautiful looking boozer in Manchester complete with darts, pool and a jukebox.

A pint at this watering hole will set you back between £5.50 and £6.80, and Manchester Art Gallery is nearby if you are looking for something else to do in the area.

The Bell Inn, Aldworth

Low- beamed with a massive oak fireplace and a flagstone floor worn by generations of thirsty walkers, this cracking 16t-centuryy country pub is a terrific time-warp of a place.

The beer garden bursts into a perfectly English oasis of calm in the summer, but in the winter, the boozer oozes with cosy charm.

The beers are served spot-on and the food is simple yet superb – warm crusty rolls stuffed with ham, ox tongue, cheddar, stilton or crab, with little pots of mustard and chutney on the side.

You can get a pint and a roll for less than £15.

Fat Cat, Sheffield

Once you’ve sat down here, you’ll struggle to leave this delightful, unpretentious ‘drinker’.

It is just one of several superb pubs to be discovered in the Steel City.

Cosy and carpeted, it’s like stepping into someone’s living room – albeit a living room that serves a great range of real ales from a handsome looking wooden bar.

A pint at the Fat Cat costs from around £4.20, and for somewhere to head after, just across the road is the Kelham Island Museu, m which showcases the steelmaking history of the city.

Free Trade Inn, Newcastle

Boasting beautiful views over Newcastle and across the River Tyne, perched halfway up a hill, this quirky yet canny, frills-free boozer oozes charisma.

It has friendly folk behind the bar, a free jukebox and quality ‘craft’ ales.

You can grab pizza at the boozer too for around a tenner.

A pint here will cost you from £4.50, and nearby, make sure to head on the Victoria Tunnels Tour – this underground 19th-century wagonway has had several lives as a route for coal wagons and then laterana air-raid shelter during World War II.

Whereas players in sports like football earn a salary based on a contract with the team that employs them, and athletes in individual sports like tennis and golf can earn a great deal from prize money at major tournaments, athletics competitors rely much more heavily on personal sponsorships and endorsements.

That is because they are paid no direct annual salary, and the only standardised prize money on offer is $50,000 (£37,000) for winning gold in one of the 48 track and field events at the Olympics.

That prize money was only introduced at the 2024 Games in Paris, and is paltry compared to the potential millions in winnings on offer in other major sports.

Some nations – including the USA – also choose to pay athletes who win medals from their own resources, but Britain does not.

Instead, athletes are awarded funding and grants by UK Sport, with the majority of the money coming from the National Lottery.

UK Sport ranks athletes by how likely they are to win medals at major events, and gives more funding to those whose chances it believes are better.

Athletes typically use that funding to pay for training camps, equipment, travel and, in some cases, personal support staff like physiotherapists, nutritionists and chefs.

So why would athletes be instructed to wear national team kit at the Ultimates?

The Ultimate Championship is billed as three fast-paced evenings with a record $10m (£7.4m) prize pot on offer for the biggest stars in athletics.

The condensed schedule and focus on star names is designed to appeal to viewers on television and social media – the latter likely playing a role in the focus on short, sharp bursts of action which can capture attention online.

Most viewers of athletics are used to watching athletes compete while wearing national kit at the Olympics and World Championships. Put simply, the use of a national kit makes it easier for the casual viewer to quickly spot who they should be rooting for and feel invested in the action.

But Kerr’s comments have highlighted the fact that something which may well improve the viewing experience can be felt as a direct financial negative by the athletes themselves.

With the next edition of the Ultimate Championship set to take place in September 2028, shortly after the Olympics in Los Angeles, the battle between brands and country could continue to heat up.

The Americans won both the 100m and 200m at the Ultimate Championship that saw elite athletes win $150,000 each.

Americans Kenneth Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden have claimed the sprint double to close off an action-packed weekend in Budapest that saw elite track and field athletes crowned inaugural Ultimate Champions and pocket $150,000 in prize money.

Bednarek stormed to victory in a 19.52s world lead – the season’s best performance globally – ahead of Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana (19.76s) and American Courtney Lindsey (19.79s) as Jamaican sprint legend and Ultimate Champion ambassador Usain Bolt gave his nod of approval from the stands on Sunday.

A day earlier, Bednarek finally emerged from the shadow of compatriot sprinter Noah Lyles to claim the 100m crown in 9.85s and edge out world champion Oblique Seville of Jamaica (9.90s) and USA’s Ronnie Baker (9.93s).

It was a repeat of the Tokyo World Championship double for Jefferson-Wooden, whose 21.47s world lead time made her the third-fastest woman in 200m history as she eased past compatriots Gabrielle Thomas, the Olympic champion (21.77s) and Kayla White (21.93s).

In the 100m, Jefferson-Wooden’s time of 10.62s held off Olympic champion Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia (10.74s) and compatriot Sha’Carri Richardson (10.76s), who clinched her world title in the same stadium three years ago.

Earlier on Sunday, Jasmine Jones opened the final day of competition with a shakeup in the women’s 400m hurdles.

The American clocked 52.45s to edge out Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova (52.68s) and compatriot, world leader, and favourite Anna Cockrell (53.09s), who settled for third after an almost unbeaten season. Teammate Dalilah Muhammad graciously retired from track and field with a fourth-place season’s best of 53.11s.

Reigning javelin king Rumesh Pathirage launched a monstrous 91.09m final throw for the win to continue his unbeaten streak this season.

The Sri Lankan’s throw proved too much for Grenada’s Anderson Peters (86.18m) and third-place Julian Weber of Germany (85.89m), while world champion Keshorn Walcott was disappointed with yet another fourth-place finish (82.41m).

Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi literally soared to new heights with a 2.37m clearance that amazed the crowd – and himself – well after USA’s JuVaughn Harrison jumped 2.30m for second in the men’s high jump and Mexico’s Erick Portillo cleared 2.26m for third.

Josh Kerr of Great Britain kept the 1500m win predictable (3:29.35) after Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati (1:41.91) flipped the script on 800m world and Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi (1:42.44), who settled for third behind Canada’s Marco Arop (1:42.28) in a stunning finish.

Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw dominated to claim the women’s 5,000m (14:30.36) while Saly Sarr of Senegal (15.06m) stole the triple jump spotlight from world leader Thea Lafond (14.47m) after the Dominican failed to perform in the Hungarian capital.

Crowd favourite Mondo Duplantis opened the show on Friday with a casual 6.20m jump to reign supreme in the men’s pole vault, although close friend and rival Emmanouil Karalis of Greece continued to close the gap between world number one and two with 6.15m for second.

Over on the women’s side, it was an emotional win for USA’s Sandi Morris when she cleared 4.90m for her first global outdoor title.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen shifted gears to dominate the men’s 5,000m in a comeback like never before (12:59.24), leaving USA’s Cole Hocker (13:00.05) and Parker Wolfe (13:00.13) in his trail.

The Americans predictably dominated the hurdles as Masai Russell clocked 12.22s in the women’s 100m hurdles to cap off an unbeaten season while Diamond League champion Ja’Kobe Tharp dazzled with 12.94s in the men’s 110m hurdles.

Other predictable wins came from Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou in the men’s long jump (8.35m), Switzerland’s Audrey Werro in the women’s 800m (1:55.88), Brazil’s Alison dos Santos in the men’s 400m hurdles (45.98s), Dominican Marileidy Paulino in the women’s 400m (49.07s) and male counterpart Collen Kebinatshipi with a 43.39s Botswana national record.

A cozy, unbothered Yaroslava Mahuchikh rested in her sleeping bag in between jumps that saw her add another high jump title to her collection at 1.99m ahead of Nicola Olyslagers of Australia.

Meanwhile, the women’s javelin saw a clash of old and new as Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi set a national record (68.92m) en route to reclaiming the throne, while Chinese teen sensation Yan Ziyi retired hurt but claimed her first silver of the season with 68.05m.

Larissa Iapichino of Italy claimed the long jump crown (6.90m) just hours after her grandmother died, while Germany’s Merlin Hummel claimed a shock win in the men’s hammer throw after world and Olympic champion Ethan Katzberg simply could not perform on the day.

The “best of the best” in athletics are preparing to compete in the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship that gets under way in Budapest this weekend.

The three-day competition will see 26 Olympic champions from Paris, 26 world champions from Tokyo last year, and this season’s top athletes battle it out to be crowned the best in track and field.

Many return to the stomping ground in the Hungarian capital after successes at the 2023 World Championships, while others have racked up global titles after breakout performances throughout the year.

Here’s Al Jazeera’s all-to-know guide to the meet:

Who, what, where and when at the Ultimate Championship?

The Ultimate Championship is an invite-only competition featuring the Olympic gold medallist, World Championship gold medallist, Diamond League winners, and the best performers of 2026 based on the World Rankings qualification system.

It runs from September 11-13 in Budapest and will become a biennial feature in World Athletics’ calendar. The sport’s global governing body chose 2026 to launch the event in between the World Championships, and, in Olympic years, use it to round out a highly competitive season.

Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt, an ambassador for the event, said it was “great to see track and field going in a different direction”.

“It’s going to be great to see the best of the best,” the eight-time Olympic gold medallist said at a news conference on Thursday before the event.

“This was one of my greatest things. I’ve always lived to compete against the best and I would thrive in this moment.”

What is the Ultimate Championship prize pot?

The $10m prize pot will see winners of each event bag a record $150,000.

That’s more than double the $70,000 given at last year’s World Championships in Tokyo, and three times what was awarded by World Athletics to Olympic champions in Paris. Second place takes home $75,000, third place $40,000, all the way to $2,000 for 16th-place finishers.

Relay teams will split $80,000 among themselves, followed by $40,000 and $24,000 for second and third place, respectively.

The Ultimate Champion also walks away with global “bragging rights”, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said before the event as he explained its significance to the sport.

What’s new at the Ultimate Championship?  

For one, there are no medals. It’s part of World Athletics’ “reimagining of awards” that replaces the traditional accolade with a customised trophy for the Ultimate Champions based on individual tokens.

All events will be direct semifinals or finals rather than starting off as heats. Athletes competing in the men’s and women’s 200m will select their preferred semifinal heat and lane based on their seed order.

A tie for first place in a vertical jump will be decided by a jump-off rather than be shared, while athletes in throwing events will have four attempts down from the typical six, that too in the 8:8:6:4 model.

The mixed 4×100-metre relay will feature in Budapest after its debut at the World Relays earlier this year, with each quartet competing in national kits.

Why is Ultimate Championship getting criticism from a few athletes?

A number of events have been excluded from the Ultimate Championship, including shot put, triple jump, women’s hammer throw, and discus throw, as well as long-distance track events like 3,000-metre steeplechase and 10,000-metre.

World Athletics said its decision was based on viewership and priority for faster-paced events.

Olympic discus champion Matthew Denny and former world champion and two-time triple jump champion Pedro Pichardo were among the athletes who lamented the decision on social media.

Denny, current world number two, explained that the prize money “can change a career and a life” and implored World Athletics to reconsider its stance on public interest driven by its own statistics.

“Innovation should not come at the expense of opportunity.”

World record watch

These athletes are already the creme de la creme in their field and are most likely to set a world record, based on this year’s performance:

• Men’s Pole Vault: None other than Sweden’s Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis, who has broken the world record 15 times and most recently this March.
• Men’s 800m: World lead Emanuel Wanyonyi has repeatedly threatened fellow Kenyan David Rudisha’s 1:40.91 set at the London 2012 Olympics.
• Women’s 800m: Audrey Werro is fresh off her 1:53.70 set on home soil at the Zurich Diamond League in August. The Swiss’s time is third all-time and dangerously close to the 1:53.28 set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983.
• Men’s 400m hurdles: Brazil’s Alison dos Santos recently smashed the record in Zurich, five years after Norway’s Karsten Warholm clocked 45.94 at the Tokyo Olympics.
• Women’s 100m hurdles: Zurich magic extended to the women’s 100m hurdles as USA’s Masai Russell stormed to a 12.09 to cap off 12 straight wins this season.