Auf Wiedersehen Munich! Hosts Germany’s best championships this century

Bol emulates Blankers-Koen with third gold medal of the championships in Munich

Vuleta: "It wasn’t even an option to come here and fail to win"

Kaul’s second day charge clinches dramatic decathlon gold in Munich

Home favourite Luckenkemper wins a 100m thriller by a whisker in Munich

55,000 spectators flock to watch European Championships Munich 2022 launch in style

<h2>European Athletics Championships&nbsp;</h2>
As the jewel in the crown of events organised by European Athletics, the biennial European Athletics Championships are the showcase of the very best that the continental branch of the sport has to offer.
Hosts Italy had their best ever European Athletics Championships in Roma 2024, topping the medal table with eleven gold medals and 24 medals in total. This was the best ever European Athletics Championships by a host nation, surpassing the 20 medals won by Germany when Berlin staged the 2018 European Athletics Championships.
Among the many highlights from the host nation, Leonardo Fabbri and Gianmarco Tamberi broke the championship records in the shot put and high jump respectively while Nadia Battocletti sprinted to victory in both the 5000m and 10,000m. Lamont Marcell Jacobs retained his European 100m title and contributed to Italy's electric victory in the 4x100m while Yemaneberhan Crippa won half marathon gold and led Italy to the team title.
From an international standpoint, Croatia's Sandra Elkasevic won a historic seventh successive European discus title to become the first athlete in championship history to win seven gold medals. Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen also became the first male athlete, at 23, to win six gold medals at the European Athletics Championships courtesy of his third 1500/5000m double.&nbsp;
In total, an incredible 15 championship records were set in Roma 2024. The full results from the championships can be found <a href="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/fe31f746-d9d1-4555-8899-d095f5843ff0/Results%20Book%20-%20European%20Athletics%20Championships%202024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
The 2026 European Athletics Championships will be held in Birmingham, Great Britain&nbsp; on 10-16 August.&nbsp;

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Results Book Roma 2024

Roma 2024 - Athlete Biographies (Day 6)

Roma 2024 - Athlete Biographies (Day 5)

Roma 2024 - Athlete Biographies (Day 4)

Roma 2024 - Athlete Biographies (Day 3)

Roma 2024 - Athlete Biographies (Day 2)

Roma 2024 - Athlete Biographies (Day 1)

Daily Programme - 12 June (Day 6)

Daily Programme - 11 June (Day 5)

Daily Programme - 10 June (Day 4)

Daily Programme - 9 June (Day 3)

Daily Programme - 8 June (Day 2)

Daily Programme - 7 June (Day 1)

Roma 2024 Statistics Handbook (as of 5 June)

Roma 2024 Media Guide

Final Entries (by season's best)

Final Entries (by country order)

Confirmed Relay Teams

Media Logistics Information 

European Athletics Championships

Road To Rome

The European Athletics Championships is a biennial event and the continent's premier athletics competition, the next edition takes place on 10-16 August 2026 in Birmingham, GBR.

Results Book Birmingham 2026

Athletes qualified for sprint semifinals

Medal Ceremony Timetable (as of 3 June)

Timetable (as of 4 June)

Team Manual

Official Implements List

Qualifying System and Entry Standards

Competition Regulations

Roma 2024 | Day six highlights

Roma 2024 | Day five highlights

Roma 2024 | Day four highlights

Roma 2024 | Day three highlights

Roma 2024 | Day two highlights

Roma 2024 | Day one highlights

"Athletics is my mission." Yaroslava Mahuchikh | Ignite

My Moment | Mondo soars over 6.05m

"To become the best is what you strive for." Femke Bol | Ignite

"I'm more motivated than ever." Katarina Johnson-Thompson | Ignite

My Moment | Femke Bol on Munich 2022

'Illuminate' | Official song of Roma 2024 

My fire | Nick Griggs

My Fire | Mattia Furlani

Munich 2022 | Women's 4x400m race replay

Munich 2022 | Day seven highlights

Munich 2022 | Women's 3000m steeplechase race replay

Munich 2022 | Day six highlights

Munich 2022 | Men's 5000m race replay

Munich 2022 | Day five highlights

Munich 2022 | Women's 10,000m race replay

Munich 2022 | Day four highlights

Munich 2022 | Day three highlights

Munich 2022 | Day two highlights

Munich 2022 | Arthur Abele's emotional farewell

Munich 2022 | Day one highlights

&ldquo;I just believed that my day would come.&rdquo;
For Nadine Visser, that belief had been tested more thoroughly than for most. There had been fourth places, injuries and illness. There were major championship finals in which she had run superbly but still left without a medal, sometimes by the narrowest of margins.
So perhaps it was fitting that when Visser's day finally arrived, the margin of victory was one thousandth of a second.
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At the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, the Dutch hurdler finally claimed the major outdoor medal that had eluded her throughout a distinguished career, defeating Poland&rsquo;s Pia Skrzyszowska by just 0.001 in a dramatic women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles final.
Both were given 12.67 (+0.8m/s). Only the photo finish could separate them. This time, the verdict went Visser&rsquo;s way, her shoulder edging it by 0.001.
&ldquo;I got so many nice reactions,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;So many people saying how happy they are for me, and they think it&rsquo;s so well deserved.
&ldquo;When I was so close to a medal, they were like, &lsquo;Oh, I feel like you deserve this,&rsquo; and I was like, &lsquo;It&rsquo;s nice, but it doesn&rsquo;t give me a medal.&rsquo;
&ldquo;Or like in the Olympics, where I ran a really good race, but it was a fourth place.
&ldquo;It feels really nice to see that so many people support me in my journey and wish the best for me.
&ldquo;And I feel like, finally, I can show them it was worth it to just keep on going. I just believed that my day would come, and it&rsquo;s there now.&rdquo;
At 31, Visser had already compiled a career most hurdlers would envy: two Olympic finals, multiple World Championships finals, two European indoor titles and world indoor bronze and silver medals.
But outdoors, the senior championship podium had remained stubbornly out of reach.
That made Birmingham about far more than one race.
<h3>From heptathlete to hurdler</h3>
Visser&rsquo;s route to the top of the sprint hurdles was unconventional.
A former gymnast and footballer, she initially emerged as one of Europe&rsquo;s outstanding multi-event prospects. At the 2014 World U20 Championships in Eugene, she demonstrated her remarkable versatility by winning bronze medals in both the heptathlon and 100m hurdles.
A year later, aged 20, she finished eighth in the heptathlon at the senior World Championships in Beijing. Her personal best of 6467 points, set that year, underlined just how accomplished a combined-events athlete she was.
She contested the heptathlon at the Rio 2016 Olympics and finished seventh at the 2017 World Championships before increasingly turning her attention to the hurdles.
The decision soon paid dividends.
At the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Visser won 60m hurdles bronze. A year later in Glasgow she became European indoor champion and successfully defended her title in Toruń in 2021, setting a Dutch record of 7.77.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787916056/GettyImages-1305821582.jpg">
Indoors became the arena in which Visser collected the medals that continually escaped her outdoors.
European indoor silvers followed in 2023 and 2025, the latter on home soil in Apeldoorn where she lowered her Dutch record to 7.72. Earlier this year, she added world indoor silver in Toruń in 7.73 behind Devynne Charlton.
Four European indoor medals and two World Indoor medals proved Visser could deliver when championships were on the line.
Yet the outdoor medal remained missing.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve won many medals indoors,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve already shown that I can do well at championships, but this is just really nice to now have an outdoor European medal.&rdquo;
<h3>Fourth, fifth, sixth &ndash; but never on the podium</h3>
The frustration was heightened by how consistently Visser had put herself in contention.
She was fourth at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin, sixth at the 2019 World Championships in Doha &ndash; where she equalled her then Dutch record of 12.62 in the semifinal &ndash; and fifth at the Tokyo Olympics.
Then came Munich in 2022.&nbsp;It remains one of the races Visser finds difficult to revisit.
Skrzyszowska won the European title in 12.53, with Hungary&rsquo;s Luca Koz&aacute;k taking silver in 12.69. Switzerland&rsquo;s Ditaji Kambundji took bronze in 12.74, with Visser fourth in 12.75.
For Visser, the disappointment was compounded by knowing her dip at the finish had not been good enough.
&ldquo;2022 was, I think, physically and mentally my worst year,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Because of a hamstring injury and then struggling so much the whole season, leaving my coach, my grandma passing. So it was a lot.
&ldquo;And still there I was close to a medal, but it was one hundredth of a second, and I didn&rsquo;t have a good dip.
&ldquo;I felt really guilty about that. This one was so frustrating for me, and still before this day, thinking about that was hard for me.&rdquo;
There were other occasions when timing seemed to conspire against her.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve done really well, mostly at World and Olympic finals, and I often was the best European,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;But always the year in between the Europeans, of course.
&ldquo;I feel like often I was quite unlucky with the timing, also with physical issues. I had two hamstring injuries.&rdquo;
Ahead of the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships, another setback arrived.
&ldquo;Two years ago I got sick, very sick in Doha, and the Europeans was very early, and I was not at my best there,&rdquo; she says. She still reached the final and finished fifth in 12.72.
Two months later at the Paris Olympics, Visser produced one of the finest championship performances of her career.
She ran 12.43 in both the semifinal and final, finishing fourth, just seven hundredths behind bronze medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.
Again, an outstanding performance brought no medal.&nbsp; &ldquo;Like in the Olympics, I run a really good race, but it was a fourth place,&rdquo; she says.
Visser reached another world final in Tokyo in 2025, finishing eighth, but that season also showed that, rather than fading as she entered her thirties, she was getting faster.
In August 2025 she ran a Dutch record of 12.28. The speed was there. So was the ambition.&nbsp; All that remained was for performance, health and opportunity to coincide at the right championship.
<h3>Birmingham breakthrough</h3>
In Birmingham, they finally did.
Four years after missing a European medal by a hundredth in Munich, Visser won European gold by a thousandth from Skrzyszowska.
For several seconds after the finish, neither woman knew.
Then the scoreboard delivered the answer: Visser first, Skrzyszowska second, both in 12.67. France&rsquo;s Laeticia Bapt&eacute; took bronze in 12.73.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787916089/GettyImages-2290069385.jpg">
For a self-confessed perfectionist, even the greatest outdoor victory of Visser&rsquo;s career prompted thoughts about what she could have done better.
&ldquo;Someone was telling me, &lsquo;This for sure must be a highlight of your career,&rsquo; and I was like, &lsquo;Oh yeah, maybe.&rsquo;
&ldquo;I feel like it should be, yes, but I just need to let it sink in.
&ldquo;I know it&rsquo;s not only about winning the medals, but I&rsquo;m also a perfectionist. The feeling of running a perfect race and running really fast times, I love that.
&ldquo;When I&rsquo;ve run really fast times, I felt so good, especially when I didn&rsquo;t expect it. So it&rsquo;s always nice to combine the two.&rdquo;
Birmingham was not the perfect race. It did not need to be.
After years in which fractions of seconds, injuries and championship timing had worked against her, Visser finally had the result.
There was another pleasing element, too. The athlete she beat was Skrzyszowska, the woman who had won that painful European final in Munich four years earlier and a rival for whom Visser has considerable respect.
&ldquo;I know Pia the best,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I feel like she really genuinely also is happy for me that I won. We work so hard.&rdquo;
<h3>More in the tank</h3>
Gold has not brought a sense of completion. Visser believes the fastest race of her career may still be ahead of her.
&ldquo;For sure,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I think I&rsquo;ve not run the perfect race, and there is more in the tank.
&ldquo;I had a few years where I could almost do the whole year of training and preparation well. So I think if I have another good winter and preparation &ndash; and I&rsquo;m still learning &ndash; I can still improve.&rdquo;
That is an intriguing prospect for an athlete who set her 12.28 national record at the age of 30.&nbsp;For years, Visser believed her day would come. In Birmingham, by the smallest possible margin, it finally did.
And she is not finished yet.

"I just believed my day would come." Nadine Visser reflects on long awaited outdoor gold

The Curzon Building at Birmingham City University (BCU) sits directly adjacent to the vast construction site of Curzon Street station, the future terminus for Britain&rsquo;s high-speed rail line, HS2. Inside a university lecture theatre, another long-term project was being mapped out, with considerably more urgency.
Opening the 20th European Athletics Future Leaders Forum, European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov set the stage for an initiative reaching its milestone anniversary with undeniable institutional proof.
First staged in Gothenburg in 2006 with UNESCO support under the title Young Leaders Forum, the programme has evolved into a cornerstone of European track and field governance.
"You cannot just jump to a leadership position," said President Karamarinov. "To work in athletics is not just doing a job: it is a mission. My advice is to be good where you are, be dedicated, and climb the stairs step by step. This programme works because we need leaders with genuine passion for our sport.
"Twenty years ago we started this project, and today we see that it truly works. We already have alumni serving as General Secretaries leading their federations. You will leave Birmingham richer with new friendships, new relationships, and a new vision, because athletics needs people like you," added Karamarinov to the delegates from across Europe.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787736581/Website/DSC00099_copy_emu8uj.jpg">
A survey of past participants revealed that 92 per cent remain active within the athletics movement, with 46 per cent steering youth or leadership initiatives and alumni now serving across European federations as presidents, executive board members, general secretaries, and directors in countries including Israel, Latvia, and Albania.
Standing alongside Karamarinov to address the 63 young delegates from 45 European Athletics member federations, World Athletics President Lord Coe dispensed with comfortable platitudes about patience and protocol.
&ldquo;We are only ever temporary custodians of our sport,&rdquo; Coe told the opening session. &ldquo;If you simply reproduce the thinking of the generation before you, then you haven&rsquo;t really developed as critically thinking leaders. Question the structures. Question the orthodoxies. When your time comes, your responsibility is to observe, re-engineer and refine what has come before.&rdquo;
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787736692/DSC00150_copy.jpg">
Throughout the week in Birmingham, delegates took part in a series of intensive keynote presentations, workshops, and panel sessions led by sports administrators, academics, and industry experts.
Designed to support their personal leadership development, these sessions challenged participants to look beyond traditional administrative comfort zones and provided the theoretical framework needed for their practical assignments.
That mindset was reinforced by BCU Chancellor and Paralympic medallist Ade Adepitan and Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Marcia Wilson. &ldquo;Growth will not happen if you stay in your comfort zone,&rdquo; Wilson said.
&ldquo;Even if what you are about to do scares you, go and do it anyway.&rdquo; Adepitan drew on his journey from an East London childhood in callipers to Paralympic success: &ldquo;If all your players are guards, you will never win. You need different talents coming together to create an environment where everyone can be their best. Push yourselves, dare to make mistakes and leave no stone unturned.&rdquo;
That philosophy was tested when the forum crossed the city centre to the Library of Birmingham for the Legacy Lab. Taking on the atmosphere of a live newsroom, delegates were given just four and a half hours to build pitch-ready operational blueprints addressing modern federation pressure points&mdash;spanning digital engagement, governance representation, competition design, and dual-career athlete retention.
The resulting proposals were unapologetically pragmatic. Working groups presented concepts including Athletes Connect, an automated, AI-assisted graphics platform for under-resourced grassroots clubs; Anti-Dropping, an international support and mentoring network to keep student-athletes connected through university transitions; and Athletes&rsquo; Voice, a structured pipeline embedding youth representatives directly onto national federation boards.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787736736/DSC00191_copy.jpg">
When European Athletics Executive Board members including Dobromir Karamarinov, Jean Gracia, Karin Grute Movin, Raul Chapado Serrano, Anna Kirnova and Christian Milz&nbsp;joined the floor for a direct question-and-answer session, the exchange was unsentimental.
Delegates pressed leadership on artificial intelligence, risk management, and commercial sustainability.
European Athletics CEO&nbsp;Christian Milz underlined the pace of change confronting governing bodies: &ldquo;We live in a fascinating but challenging environment. Society is asking sports organisations not only what we deliver, but how we achieve it. You must adapt the sport to modern reality.&rdquo;
European Athletics Vice President and Chair of the Development Commission, Karin Grute Movin confirmed that the Legacy Lab concepts will now feed directly into the European Athletics Development Commission for formal evaluation and potential rollout across member federations.
As Karamarinov brought the session to a close ahead of the final night of competition at Alexander Stadium, the evolution from Gothenburg 2006 was clear.
Over two decades, the Future Leaders Forum has shifted from an educational seminar into an operational engine. The emerging generation of European sports leaders are no longer waiting outside the boardroom door&mdash;they are already drafting the agenda.
"The ideas and energy in this room are the true legacy of Birmingham 2026,&rsquo; said Karamarinov in his closing address. "You will leave here with concrete plans, but more importantly, with a network of colleagues and lifelong friends across 44 federations who will shape European athletics together for decades to come." "Twenty years on from Gothenburg, this forum continues to prove its immense value. You have challenged us, you have delivered real solutions, and now the responsibility is yours to turn these blueprints into action across Europe."

Birmingham 2026 marks 20 years of the Future Leaders Forum

Mark English is well equipped to diagnose problems. Yet even the morning after finally becoming European champion at the age of 33, the qualified doctor was finding this particular experience difficult to process.
&ldquo;No, I'm still slowly processing it all,&rdquo; English said after winning the 800m at the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships.
&ldquo;I'm just in an analytical mindset at the minute, so that's why I can't be emotional. But yeah, I know it's brilliant. It'll just take me a while to process it all.&rdquo;
Perhaps that is understandable.
English won his first senior European medal 12 years ago and has since compiled an extraordinary championship record.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787057800/GettyImages-453653820.jpg">
Every senior European 800m final he has contested, indoors or outdoors, has ended with English on the podium.
Bronze outdoors at Z&uuml;rich 2014. Silver indoors at Prague 2015. Indoor bronze in Glasgow in 2019. Another outdoor bronze at Munich 2022. Another indoor bronze indoors at Apeldoorn 2025.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787057872/GettyImages-1128536652.jpg">
Five finals. Five medals. But never gold. Until Birmingham 2026
English arrived this time not as the dangerous outsider but as European leader and he delivered, striking decisively in the closing stages to win in 1:45.26. Finally, a European title.
<h3>Joining the Irish greats</h3>
The victory also carried considerable significance for Irish athletics.
English became only the third Irish athlete to win an individual title at the outdoor European Athletics Championships, following Sonia O'Sullivan and Ciara Mageean.
O'Sullivan remains Ireland's most successful individual European champion, winning the 3000m at Helsinki 1994 before completing a remarkable 5000m and 10,000m double at Budapest 1998 four years later.
It was then 26 years before Mageean became Ireland's next individual champion, winning a memorable 1500m title at Rome 2024.
English joined them in Birmingham &mdash; before Kate O'Connor's victory in the heptathlon later in the championships expanded the exclusive club to four.
Between them, O'Sullivan, Mageean, English and O'Connor have now won six individual European outdoor titles for Ireland: three for O'Sullivan and one each for the other three.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787662436/GettyImages-2290358553.jpg">
&ldquo;I guess I have, but it's not really something I think about too much,&rdquo; English said when asked about joining O'Sullivan and Mageean, before O'Connor had added her name to the list.
&ldquo;But yeah, I think it's Sonia and Ciara who are the only other two individual gold medallists. So yeah, it's pretty special to be amongst them. Two of our greatest athletes ever.&rdquo;
<h3>Brought home by the Irish crowd</h3>
English had plenty of help getting there.
The sizeable Irish contingent inside the Birmingham stadium provided a wall of noise as the pain began to bite on the second lap.
&ldquo;It just numbs the pain on the last 400 metres,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;You can't feel anything, so you're just buoyed by that.&nbsp;It helps whenever you get to that 600-metre mark. You know you're just going to be brought home by that crowd.&rdquo;
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787662434/GettyImages-2290152771.jpg">
Back in Ireland, the reaction was equally passionate, although English had barely had time to see it.
&ldquo;I hear people are jumping up and down,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I'll have to have a look at some of the videos.&rdquo;
One clip he had seen was an RT&Eacute; commentators reaction to the victory.&nbsp;&ldquo;Greg Allen's commentary on the event was pretty special,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;He's so passionate about athletics himself. It was brilliant to see it.&rdquo;
<h3>Favourite for a reason</h3>
There was a different psychological challenge for English in Birmingham.
After years of arriving at major championships as a dangerous medal contender, this time there was an expectation that he could actually win.
He chose to embrace it.
&ldquo;If I'm the favourite, then obviously I'm a favourite for a reason,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;People think I'm the best athlete there and that I'm going to go in and win it. So that's always a positive thing that you can take from that.
&ldquo;There's obviously the pressure, but I just trusted in my coach's plan and tried to execute it as best I could.&rdquo;
The plan from coach&nbsp;Justin Rinaldi was built around patience.
&ldquo;Just sit off the shoulder of the leader or be in third or fourth, and just be ready to strike on that last 100 metres,&rdquo; English explained.
&ldquo;And thankfully, it worked out.&rdquo; For once, there was no need for a second opinion.
<h3>Getting faster at 33</h3>
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of English's breakthrough is that it has arrived not at the beginning of his career but deep into it.
Rather than simply extending his time at the elite level, he has continued to improve.
At the end of 2024, English contacted physiologist Garrett Sanford for help identifying and addressing his limiting factors. Around the same time, he joined Rinaldi, a coach with extensive experience of world-class 800m runners.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787057907/GettyImages-2290358759.jpg">
&ldquo;I reached out to a physiologist called Garrett Sanford at the end of 2024, and he helped guide me in relation to how to address my limiting factors,&rdquo; English said.
&ldquo;Then I came on board with Justin at the same time. Obviously Justin's worked with a myriad of 1:42 athletes.
&ldquo;I knew his specific workouts that he would give for 800 metres would be really suitable.&nbsp;I was just combining all the elements really and coming up with a structured weekly plan that we could rehearse week on week. And thankfully, it's worked out.&rdquo;
The results have been striking.
English lowered his Irish indoor 800m record to 1:44.23 earlier this year before producing a major career breakthrough outdoors, running 1:42.97 at the London Diamond League in July.
More than a decade after first stepping onto a European podium, he had become a 1:42 runner at 33.
The doctor, it seems, had found the right prescription.
<h3>Enjoying the moment</h3>
English is not yet interested in looking towards Los Angeles 2028 or even committing himself to another European indoor campaign for Valencia 2027.
After waiting 12 years for this moment, he wants to enjoy it.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787662433/GettyImages-2290490849.jpg">
&ldquo;I'm not even thinking that far ahead,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I'm just so caught up in this moment, and I'll just try to take it in as much as I can.&rdquo;
There are more races to come this season, and future targets will eventually be mapped out.
But for now, Dr Mark English has the one result his remarkable European record had been missing:&nbsp; European champion.

After 12 years of European medals, Mark English finally savours gold

To the thousands roaring from the grandstands at Alexander Stadium, championship athletics is an explosive blur of lights, music and raw speed. But long before an athlete steps under the stadium floodlights, they must survive a hidden, high-stakes psychological obstacle course that television cameras never capture.&nbsp;
Guiding an exclusive, behind-the-scenes &lsquo;Insider Tour&rsquo; through the stadium&rsquo;s inner sanctum, former world and European sprint champion and now Great Britain relay coach Richard Kilty peeled back the curtain on the intense, ritualistic journey athletes undergo before the starter's gun fires.
Part of European Athletics&rsquo; commitment to bringing key stakeholders, partners and guests closer to the heart of the sport, the European Athletics Insider Tours convey the high-pressure world of elite competition through the eyes of those who have lived it at the highest level. &nbsp;
<h3>Controlled chaos and a surprise guest</h3>
Our journey &ndash; which was for the benefit of family members of European Athletics Official Partner Joma &ndash; began outside on the warm-up track, where at busy times between 600 and 700 athletes, coaches, doctors and physiotherapists converge in a frantic hive of physical preparation.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It can be very, very hectic, and very eventful,&rdquo; Kilty explains. With only eight lanes and dozens of athletes vying to practise, the atmosphere carries an unmistakable edge. &ldquo;You have athletes practising starts, coaches arguing, intense national rivalries and sometimes people almost coming to blows,&rdquo; Kilty says. &ldquo;It can be incredibly tense, yet right next to it, other teams are laughing and bonding.&rdquo;
The tour even experienced a taste of global track-and-field royalty when pole vault phenomenon Mondo Duplantis crossed paths with the group mid-warmup, stopping to pose for a photograph with members of the Joma family. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s one of the biggest stars in world sport, but so humble,&rdquo; Kilty smiled, reminiscing about their days as roommates at an indoor meeting in Belgrade playing Call of Duty between sessions. &ldquo;His warm-up looks just like a sprinter&rsquo;s: drills, stretching, pure velocity.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h3>The &ldquo;Room of Doom&rdquo;</h3>
If the warm-up area is physical, the next stop is pure psychological warfare: the Call Room, or the Room of Doom as Colin Jackson describes it. Strict schedules dictate the exact minute an athlete must report. Miss the window by five seconds and you face disqualification. Once past the threshold, all contact with the outside world is severed. No phones, no coaches, no music. Just eight rivals confined to a tiny, five-by-five-metre space for up to 35 minutes while officials inspect bibs, shoes and spikes.&nbsp;
&ldquo;If you look back at history, the Romans kept the gladiators in small holding areas beside the Colosseum before they entered the arena,&rdquo; says Kilty. &ldquo;The Call Room is our version of that. When I take people on this tour, they are completely mesmerised to learn that eight rivals sit cramped in a room the size of a shed for 35 minutes before a race.&nbsp;
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787223194/adam_DSC09353.jpg">
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve seen athletes look invincible outside, full of confidence with their coach,&rdquo; he adds. &ldquo;Then they sit in this quiet room for 20 minutes, looking at their opponents, and doubt starts creeping in. Some athletes try to intimidate, others sit quietly with their thoughts. Usain Bolt used to sing and dance! I used to thrive on that tension, but for many it&rsquo;s where the race is lost before they even step outside.&rdquo;&nbsp;
<h3>The gladiator's walk</h3>
When the call comes, athletes strip down to their competition kit and are led into the tunnel beneath the grandstand. Here, the psychological tension flips into pure adrenaline.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Even though I've been retired for two years, walking through that tunnel still uplifts me and I get flashbacks,&rdquo; Kilty reflects. &ldquo;Standing behind those big electronic doors before they open, the smoke effects fire off and you run out into the crowd... that&rsquo;s the biggest moment in the sport. That&rsquo;s what I miss the most.&rdquo;&nbsp;
Down on the track, Kilty highlighted the eye-opening level of technology embedded in modern athletics, from microchips tracking split times and stride frequency to high-precision starting blocks equipped with force sensors costing upwards of &euro;8,000.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Elite sprinters put up to 450 kilograms of force into those blocks in less than two-hundredths of a second,&rdquo; he explained, recalling his own agonising false-start disqualification in the men's 100 metres final at the 2016 European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam when he started after the gun but his reaction time broke the legal threshold by mere thousandths of a second.&nbsp;
<h3>Full circle on home soil</h3>
The journey concludes where every championship race finishes: the mandatory gauntlet of the Mixed Zone for international broadcast interviews, followed immediately by the watchful eye of anti-doping chaperones before athletes are finally reunited with their phones to contact loved ones.&nbsp;
For Kilty, guiding visitors through Alexander Stadium carries a profound personal resonance. &ldquo;It has a very special place in British sprinting, and for me personally,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I travelled down here for the National Young Athletes League final back in 2002. It was the first major stadium I ever saw and I thought, 'Wow, this is amazing!' I won my first national medal here at the English Schools Championships in 2005, and later set personal bests in the Diamond League. It&rsquo;s got such a rich history, and it's fantastic to see it standing as a world-class home of athletics.&rdquo;
By opening up the hidden corridors of Alexander Stadium, European Athletics and its ambassadors like Richard Kilty are doing more than just showing off facilities &ndash; they are connecting key partners and others directly to the raw emotion, cutting-edge technology and human drama that powers European track and field.

Access All Areas – behind the scenes with Richard Kilty at the Alexander Stadium

It is far from unusual for athletes to move through the distances as their careers mature and their endurance builds.
For Sweden&rsquo;s Andreas Almgren, the move to the longer distances has proved hugely successful and the Swede is about to embark on an eagerly awaited marathon debut in the New York Marathon in early November.
However, the idea of running a marathon would have been the stuff of fantasy a decade ago when Almgren - who became the first European to break the 59 minute-barrier in the half marathon last October - was regarded as a rising star in the 800m having run 1:45 as a teenager.
"Nope," stated Almgren on if he had any inkling the longer distances would be his ultimate calling. "I never had any kind of intention to step up in distance. I wanted to run the 800m."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787413207/GettyImages-465579330.jpg">
In Almgren&rsquo;s case, it was a succession of injuries which began with a broken bone in his foot - something he described as "a sudden crack in my right foot" - in early 2016 that halted his ascent through the middle distance ranks and prompted a change in direction.
After a long spell on the sidelines and many major championships missed, a national indoor 3000m record of 7:48.34 at the 2020 Swedish Indoor Championships just before the pandemic was the first clear sign for Almgren that he could possibly reinvent himself as a distance runner.&nbsp;
And six years later, Almgren produced one of the most accomplished and destructive pieces of distance running to win the 10,000m title at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
<h3 dir="ltr">Some like it hot&nbsp;</h3>
After parts of Great Britain basked in the fifth heatwave of one of the hottest summers on record last week, the temperatures dropped significantly for the last two days of the championships.
By sheer coincidence, most of the endurance events were scheduled for the latter part of the championships. One would have thought this would have been a blessing for all distance runners but not for Almgren who was hoping the temperatures would remain steadfast in the low 30Cs for the 10,000m.
It was only last September when Almgren dealt with the dizzying heat and humidity at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, kicking to a bronze medal in the 10,000m - his first major medal as a senior - in a race won by France&rsquo;s Jimmy Gressier.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787413106/GettyImages-2235374090.jpg">
"For Tokyo I was preparing for it to be a slow race and I had done a lot of heat training so I wanted it to be as hot as possible. I've done a lot of heat training before this one as well - not for the heat but I didn't really get the logistics working for an altitude camp and you get the blood values from heat training as well.&nbsp;
"When we had the heatwave in the beginning of this championships I was like 'it's going to be nice' but then I saw it was going to cool down for the 10,000m I thought &lsquo;that's bad.'" said Almgren.
<h3 dir="ltr">"I just took off." A sudden change in tactics</h3>
Nor was Almgren counting on the first kilometre of the 10,000m being quite as pedestrian as 3:16.93. This prompted Almgren to rethink his gameplan.&nbsp;
The Swede was preparing to make a concerted effort at some point &ldquo;to hurt the other guys&rdquo; but leading almost the entire way in the 10,000m was not the initial plan.&nbsp;&nbsp;
"Yes, that's true. My plan was to go after 5km or something. I was hoping that it was going to be a little bit faster, maybe 14:15 [through 5km] or something at least under 30 minute-pace," said Almgren.
"But when it was 3:17 for the first kilometre I was like 'OK, we can't have it like this. I don't want to have a race like this.&rsquo; Mike Foppen was leading the race. He's a big friend of mine. After four laps I went up next to him and he just looked at me and said: 'bro, what the f*** is happening?' And I was like, 'I don't know, I'll just go.' Then I just took off."
And take off he did.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787412700/GettyImages-2290627147.jpg">
A succession of 63-64 second laps left the 25-man field splintered around the entirety of the track. Only Gressier along with Dominic Lobalu and Yemaneberhan Crippa - the last two European 10,000m champions - remained grimly in contact as the lap counter reduced to single digits but even their resolve was broken as Almgren upped the pain with a brutal three laps of 63.07, 62.18 and 61.22.
Almgren might have slowed in the closing stages which resulted in the unusual spectacle of the Swede acting as a de facto pacemaker for a large group of runners whom he had lapped but the damage had been done and the 31-year-old&rsquo;s last lap was tantamount to a victory lap.
His winning time of 27:23.44 slashed seven seconds off the oldest championship record on the books which had stood to Martti Vainio at 27:30.99 since 1978 and his winning margin of 19.23 seconds was the biggest in any major championship men&rsquo;s 10,000m this century.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787412819/C2205739.jpg">
Running so hard and for so long might not have been the predetermined game plan but Almgren was supremely confident about his form and fitness and his ability to last out the distance from some of his pre-championship workouts.&nbsp;
"Apart from high mileage and threshold, I've basically done three very good specific workouts leading into this and those workouts gave me a lot of confidence. One of the first ones I did was 5x2000m with three minutes rest and I did 5:29, 5:19, 5:13, 5:08 and 5:02 for the last one. Basically I just can run very fast without feeling fatigue," said Almgren on one of his key workouts.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Inspiration from the Ingebrigtsens</h3>
Almgren&rsquo;s victory in the 10,000m was part of a string of successes for Scandinavian distance runners in Birmingham.
It began on the first night of the championships with his Jakob Ingebrigtsen defying an injury-ridden build-up to win his fourth 5000m title and ended with Finland&rsquo;s Alisa Vainio - who cites Almgren as one of her idols - winning the women&rsquo;s marathon. In between, Almgren&rsquo;s friend and roommate Samuel Pihlstr&ouml;m also won a surprise silver medal in the 1500m.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787412649/GettyImages-2290628205.jpg">
Prior to Almgren&rsquo;s early middle distance success, the Swede was also a highly talented football player. In his youth, Almgren was a promising defender who played at age-group level with and against players who even made the Swedish team at the FIFA World Cup this summer.
But Almgren recalls watching Henrik Ingebrigtsen winning the 1500m title at the 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki as proof that Scandinavians can leave their mark in the middle and long distances and that he could possibly follow suit.
"I guess everyone just inspires each other," said Almgren on the rise and rise of distance running in the region.
"But for me back in 2012 I was in the middle of choosing to try to go as a football player or as a runner. Scandinavians never really succeeded but then Henrik Ingebrigtsen got fifth in the Olympics [in the 1500m] and won the Europeans so you can actually become good as a runner from Scandinavia. Then obviously what Filip and then Jakob did inspired a lot of us and now we can inspire and work well together."
Next up for Almgren is the Finnkampen - the annual Sweden v Finland international match - in late August in Helsinki where Almgren will run the 10,000m. This will be his only remaining track race of the year before he turns his focus back to the roads again.
Almgren is planning to contest the half marathon at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen on 19-20 September before the New York Marathon on 1 November comes into view where another chapter of the Swede&rsquo;s remarkable career will begin.

Almgren: "I never had any kind of intention to step up in distance"

What did the medal winners have to say at the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships?
European Athletics picks out some of the best quotes from the medal winners from across an unforgettable week of competition in Birmingham.
<h3 dir="ltr">Jakob Ingebrigtsen on coming back from "the lowest of the lows..."</h3>
"Coming from the lowest of lows to be European champion again means the world to me. Not even I believed it could happen coming here. Only with 600 metres to go, I knew I would win. I doubted myself every day coming into this and every minute leading up to the last lap today, but I'm always hoping to do my best. I've tried my best and the last three weeks was very smooth."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1786396800/Website/GettyImages-2289909433_qz8fua.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Florian Bremm on belonging and a breakthrough silver medal...</h3>
"It's my third real championship race at this level so I'm not as used to this as Jakob is or being at the front either. It's surreal and I felt like I wasn't in the right place. Even with 15 seconds to go I thought to myself 'oh s***, I shouldn't be here. I have raced with Jakob since the junior cross country [at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships] and I was always at the back chasing him and being a fanboy like everyone else."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1786406761/GettyImages-2289911095.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Leonardo Fabbri on being scared...</h3>
"Rome was special because I had my home crowd there and I was super confident. I was never doubting myself, I never thought about losing. Today, I was scared. I did not enjoy it so much - so I would say that this one is better."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1786394520/Website/GettyImages-2289912510_jxtloa.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Nadine Visser on an "unnecessary" winning margin...</h3>
"Winning by 0.001, this was unnecessary. I'm a really big perfectionist, always thinking about things that could have gone better. Waiting for the photo finish, I wasn't really thinking about whether I would get the gold medal or not, I just felt this wasn't the perfect race. In the end it doesn't matter because it was enough."
"Indoors, I have shown at so many events what I'm capable of. But outdoors it never quite worked out. Of course that gets you thinking about it. I have had so much bad luck physically during the Europeans outdoors but I have been the best European athlete at the Olympics and Worlds. That's nice but you just want to have medals around your neck."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1786482074/GettyImages-2290069275.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Pia Skrzyszowska on getting her revenge in Silesia...</h3>
"Now I have a complete collection of medals from the European championships - gold, silver and bronze. But of course with this one, a thousandth of a second cost me gold. I lost it only on the dip at the line. It hurts. At the same time, I am happy for Nadine Visser because it is her first individual gold medal (outdoors). I will prepare for revenge in two years time in Silesia. For sure, I am going to win gold there."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787232836/GettyImages-2290071109.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Miltiadis Tentoglou on starting a new chapter...</h3>
"This was one of the hardest finals I have ever done. I am good in all conditions but this wind was so hard on us long jumpers. It was changing all the time and always negative.&nbsp;This is one of my most precious victories because it is also a complex season for me. This is the start of winning golds again."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1786481498/Website/GettyImages-2290070803_mx4uyw.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Jason Joseph on his closest friend...</h3>
"When I'm standing at the start line and seeing those hurdles, there's nothing much I think about to be honest. I'm happy I have those barriers (hurdles) - they are my closest friends in the race. I think we have a really nice relationship."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787232924/GettyImages-2290347770.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Emily Newnham on running freely...</h3>
"It's always scary when you know what you're capable of because if I don't live up to that, it can hurt even more. Although failure is inevitable, I'm not afraid of it. When I'm not afraid I can run so freely. That was my strength today."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787233010/GettyImages-2290208514.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Saliyya Guisse's journey from non-selection to silver...</h3>
"It is incredible. At first, the Belgian Federation didn't even select me for these championships. Right now, I have a European silver medal [in the women's triple jump] - that is insane. I am a very competitive person and when I got selected. I really wanted to go and show I could win a medal."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787230427/GettyImages-2290362567.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Sander Skotheim on holding on to decathlon bronze in the 1500m...</h3>
"I'm always a bit worried. If someone is suddenly going to run 3:30 and challenge Jakob Ingebrigtsen, it is going to be Jeff Tesselaar, so if it's him [who takes the pace out], I worry. I just stayed with my own race plan, trusted myself and it worked. I am very happy. I have gotten some tips before [from Jakob] I tried to listen, but I feel like every race lives its own life."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787233099/GettyImages-2290359873.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Gianmarco Tamberi on defying the odds again...</h3>
"This fourth title was 100% the toughest. I guess nobody would bet on me before the final. Only me, my wife and that is all. And that is all what matters. I had a very difficult two years, a lot of problems and issues, but I knew I could have done it. I never stopped believing, never stopped investing in this and I am happy."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787230533/GettyImages-2290506189.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Jana Van Lent on overcoming an allergic reaction to 10,000m bronze...</h3>
"Seven years ago, I had an anaphylactic shock and I haven't had any issues like that since, until last Saturday. I suddenly got an allergic reaction, which meant my participation at these championships was in doubt. We don't know what triggered it, but it affected my breath."
"It was a very tough few days, so I am happy I was fit enough and was cleared earlier this week. I took it day by day to see if I could compete, but to be honest I refused to give up. That positive mindset got me the bronze today."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787233218/GettyImages-2290509343.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Femke Broeders-Bol on equalling the Dutch 800m record...</h3>
"Equaling the national record [1:55.54 from Ellen van Langen in 1992] is just superb. Ellen is a real legend of our sport and to share that national record with her is extra special. When I saw my time, it got me thinking. I was like: was I faster than the national record, or is it the national record? When I saw equal NR on the scoreboard, I was so happy. It is crazy to have that one, alongside the medal."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787230633/GettyImages-2290001998.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Jorinde Van Klinken on juggling the shot put and the discus...</h3>
"There's been a lot of discussion about me doing the combination of discus and shot put, and I am sure people will keep on asking about it. I think, with these results, we can close that chapter, that discussion. I think I am absolutely world class in both events and these medals go to show that. I have proved it is possible. I'm still young, too, so I'm sure it will only get better."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787233334/GettyImages-2290506711.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Andreas Almgren on suffering in the 10,000m...</h3>
"There was such a good atmosphere around this whole stadium so I thought I might as well go for it, for that record. I really needed that support, as during the last five laps, I felt like I was dying. I did not know it was a championship record until now. If someone's going to beat me they're going to have to suffer for it. I'm in the best 10,000m shape of my life."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1786824092/Website/GettyImages-2290625805_vgs78i.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Alexandrina Mihai on her love for Birmingham...</h3>
"I love that we came to Birmingham for this race [half marathon race walk where she won silver] as I am a huge fan of Peaky Blinders. My season is over now so I can rest and enjoy my holiday before we go again. But first I have to go and find the Peaky Blinders spots in Birmingham."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787233496/GettyImages-2290559415.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Emmanouil Karalis on his enduring friendship with Duplantis...</h3>
"Mondo was saying to me when we finished that we need to go get a beer together. He's gonna text me later to see where we can go. Should be a fun night."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787230873/GettyImages-2290765436.jpg">
<h3 dir="ltr">Georgia Hunter Bell on winning four titles in 2026 and being a role model...</h3>
"I think I need a little break before I even start thinking about the fourth gold at World Ultimate Championship but that is certainly the goal. Can I get four major golds in a year? I really hope so, it's the next big challenge but I'm going to make sure I enjoy tonight first before starting to focus on that."
"Some people have told me that I am inspiring the older runners as well as all the youngsters. I really love seeing people who have got jobs coming back into sport. Hopes and dreams aren't just for kids, it's important for adults to have them as well. Doing sport at any age is so cool, you can get such a good quality of life from it, so just go for it."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/european-athletics/image/upload/v1787233574/GettyImages-2291149872.jpg">

"I doubted myself every day coming into this." The best quotes from Birmingham 2026

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European Athletics Championships All News

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Run over two laps of the track, the 800 metres sits between sprinting and longer middle-distance racing. It is a tactical test as much as a physical one, with athletes often racing in packs, protecting position and timing their final kick. The event demands efficient running mechanics, race intelligence and a strong anaerobic capacity. European athletes have excelled in this discipline for decades, making it a consistently competitive and unpredictable race.

800 metres

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The 200 metres blends the power of the short sprint with the challenge of running a controlled curve. Athletes build speed through the bend before driving into the home straight, aiming to maintain momentum without tightening or losing stride rhythm. Success depends on combining fast acceleration with the ability to hold technique under pressure. The event has produced many memorable European championship performances, often highlighting specialist sprinters who excel in technical curve running.

200 metres

These sprint hurdles events require athletes to combine explosive speed with flawless rhythm over a set number of barriers. Runners must achieve a consistent stride pattern to clear each hurdle cleanly without breaking speed. A clipped hurdle can ruin momentum, while perfect technique creates a smooth, fast race. The short distance leaves no margin for error, making start reaction and precision critical.

100 metres hurdles (women) / 110 metres hurdles (men)

Relay events combine individual speed with coordinated teamwork. The 4x100 metres relies on fast, precise baton exchanges at high speed, with timing and communication proving as important as outright pace. The 4x400 metres tests speed-endurance, strategy and mental resilience as teams select athletes for specific legs. The mixed 4x400 metres adds the challenge of gender order selection, making race tactics central to success. Relays consistently produce some of the most exciting and unpredictable moments in championship athletics.

Relays: 4x100 metres, 4x400 metres, Mixed 4x400 metres

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The 400 metres hurdles is one of the most technically demanding events on the track. Athletes complete a full lap while clearing evenly spaced hurdles, forcing them to maintain rhythm even as fatigue peaks. Mastery of stride pattern, pace control and hurdle execution is essential. The race is known for dramatic changes of position in the final straight as athletes fight both their rivals and the physical demands of the event.

400 metres hurdles

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Race walking involves covering long distances under strict technique rules. Athletes must maintain continuous ground contact and keep the front leg straight as it lands, making endurance and technical discipline equally important. Races are often tactical, with pacing and efficiency playing a major role. Europe has a long history of success in this event, which remains a key part of the championships programme.

Race walking

The decathlon features ten events spread across two days and is regarded as one of the most complete tests in sport. Athletes compete in sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws and middle-distance running. Success depends on technical skill, physical strength, endurance and mental focus across a demanding schedule. The best decathletes are celebrated for their versatility and their ability to perform across a broad spectrum of athletic challenges.

Decathlon (men)

The heptathlon brings together seven events across two days: hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 metres, long jump, javelin and 800 metres. Athletes must demonstrate versatility, technical skill and endurance across a wide range of disciplines. Scoring rewards consistency and all-round ability rather than excellence in only one area. The event is seen as a major test of complete athletic talent and resilience.

Heptathlon (women)

In hammer throw, athletes spin several times while controlling a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The challenge is to build rotational speed while maintaining balance and directing the hammer accurately into the sector. Technical precision and body control are essential, particularly during the final release. The event is one of the most demanding in the throws discipline.

Hammer throw

Javelin throwers combine a fast run-up with a technically efficient release of a spear-shaped implement. The discipline requires speed, mobility, shoulder strength and careful control of the javelin’s angle and trajectory. Athletes must generate force during the run-up while protecting their technique during the final delivery. The event has a long European tradition and regularly produces dramatic long throws in championship settings.

Javelin throw

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The marathon covers a distance of 42.195 kilometres and stands as one of the most demanding endurance events in athletics. Athletes must balance pacing, energy management and hydration while navigating a long road course that often includes changes in terrain and elevation. The race typically develops through distinct phases, with early caution giving way to decisive moves in the later stages when fatigue begins to bite. Success requires exceptional aerobic capacity, mental resilience and the ability to maintain form over a prolonged distance. The marathon has a long and respected history within European competition and continues to showcase some of the toughest endurance performances in the sport.

Marathon

The 400 metres is a one-lap sprint requiring both speed and controlled pacing. Athletes must judge their effort carefully, building a strong opening but leaving enough in reserve to withstand the final straight when fatigue peaks. The event rewards those with both raw sprinting talent and excellent speed-endurance. Historically, it has produced dramatic finishes as runners push to their limits in the closing metres.

400 metres

Shot putters throw a solid metal ball from within a throwing circle, using either a glide or rotational technique. The event rewards explosive strength, balance and precise timing at release. Competitors must generate maximum power while staying within the circle, making technique as important as physical strength. Shot put has long been a central event in European championships, showcasing powerful and technically skilled athletes.

Shot put

The high jump challenges athletes to clear a steadily rising bar using a curved approach and a powerful take-off. Competitors must time their run-up perfectly, converting horizontal speed into vertical lift. The Fosbury Flop technique, now universal, requires exceptional body control as athletes arch over the bar. The event builds drama as the bar climbs higher and attempts become limited, often culminating in head-to-head duels.

High jump

The longest standard track race, the 10,000 metres tests stamina, concentration and consistent pacing across twenty five laps. Athletes must manage physical strain as the race progresses, responding to surges and maintaining rhythm even as fatigue builds. Historically, European Championships have seen both cagey tactical contests and fast, relentless front-running performances. The event rewards those with strong endurance and the mental strength to stay composed for a long duration.

10,000 metres

The 100 metres is the shortest outdoor sprint and sets the benchmark for pure speed in athletics. Athletes accelerate from blocks and reach top velocity within seconds, maintaining form through a high-intensity dash down the straight. Reaction time is often decisive at this distance, with races won and lost by hundredths of a second. The event has a long tradition of showcasing the fastest men and women in Europe, and it remains one of the most watched races at any championship.

100 metres

The 5000 metres is a long-distance track race demanding aerobic endurance, tactical awareness and mental focus. Athletes complete twelve and a half laps, managing pace while responding to changes initiated by rivals. Success often depends on staying relaxed early before increasing pace in the closing stages. The event has evolved over time from slow, tactical races to consistently fast, aggressive championship battles.

5000 metres

The long jump blends speed, power and precise timing. Athletes sprint along a runway and take off from a board, aiming to maintain momentum into a controlled flight and efficient landing. Key elements include accuracy on the approach and the ability to transfer horizontal velocity into lift. The discipline has deep roots in athletics history and remains a showcase of raw jumping ability.

Long jump

The steeplechase combines distance running with technical obstacle work. Athletes clear barriers and a water jump each lap, requiring controlled footwork, balance and the ability to accelerate after each obstacle. Competitors must maintain rhythm while adjusting stride patterns to navigate hurdles efficiently. The event has become a staple of European competition, producing races that test both endurance and precise technique under pressure.

3000 metres steeplechase

The discus throw requires athletes to rotate within a circle to build momentum before releasing a heavy disc into the throwing sector. Balance, footwork and technique dictate success, with release angle and timing crucial for long distances. The event dates back to ancient athletics and has remained a showcase of technical throwing skill throughout European competition.

Discus throw

Pole vaulting requires speed, strength, coordination and courage. Athletes sprint down the runway, plant the pole and use it to propel themselves over a set height. Each attempt challenges timing, body control and technique, particularly during inversion and bar clearance. The event is known for its progression of rising heights and the technical battles between athletes to master complex vaulting mechanics.

Pole vault

The triple jump consists of a hop, step and jump in one continuous sequence. Athletes must generate and maintain forward momentum through each phase, requiring rhythm, leg strength and technical consistency. Distances depend on a smooth transition between phases and a balanced landing. The event demands a combination of speed and coordination unique within the jumps programme.