The Norwegian Olympic champion produced a devastating kick down the home straight on Friday at the Gyula Zsivótzky National Athletics Centre to hold off a pair of Americans.
Cole Hocker, the world champion, finished second in 13:00.05. Parker Wolfe took bronze in 13:00.13.
It was only the second time in Ingebrigtsen’s career that he has broken 13 minutes over 5,000m. He collected $150,000 for the win on the opening night of a meeting offering $10 million across 28 events.
Ingebrigtsen is continuing his return from injury and is also scheduled to race the 1,500 metres later in the championship.
The result came on the same evening that Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis won the men’s pole vault with 6.20m. Both Scandinavian stars underlined their status as the standout performers on night one in Budapest.
Hocker closed hard but could not match Ingebrigtsen’s finishing speed. Wolfe, also of the United States, was only eight hundredths behind his compatriot.
The three-day World Athletics Ultimate Championship continues in the Hungarian capital through Sunday.