European 5000m and 10,000m champion Nadia Battocletti ran the second fastest time ever by a European over 3000m indoors at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais Trophee EDF in Lievin, a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting, on Thursday (19) evening.
In a race won by world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu from Ethiopia in a world lead of 8:24.59 ahead of world U20 champion Aleshign Baweke in 8:26.29, Battocletti improved her Italian record with 8:26.44 to finish third but missed Laura Muir’s nine-year-old European indoor record by an agonising 0.03 despite closing with a last lap of 31.18.
"The goal was to reach the world standard of 8:35.00 and feel comfortable on the indoor track. The European record could have been in my sights, but I have to learn to run indoors. This time is especially important because Ramadan began yesterday and I finished my university exams a few days ago. It's been a difficult time, but I have a great staff helping me," said Battocletti as quoted by FIDAL.
Battocletti wasn’t the only European runner to leave the track with a national record for posterity. European 5000m bronze medallist Marta Garcia improved her Spanish indoor record to 8:34.28 to finish fourth while world 1500m finalist Sarah Madeleine revised the French indoor record on home soil with 8:39.13 to finish eighth.
Battocletti’s next race will be as soon as Sunday when she competes in the Italian Cross Country Championships in Castelvetrano in Sicily.
And beyond next weekend, Battocletti’s big upcoming goal is the 3000m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Kujawy Pomorze (Torun) from 20-22 March.
Updated European indoor all-time 3000m list
8:26.41 - Laura Muir (GBR), 2017
8:26.44 - Nadia Battocletti (ITA), 2026
8:27.86 - Liliya Shobukhova (RUS), 2006
8:28.49 - Anna Alminova (RUS), 2009
8:28.69 - Melissa Courtney-Bryant (GBR) 2025
8:29.00 - Olesya Syreva (RUS) 2006
8:30.76 - Sifan Hassan (NED) 2017
8:30.79 - Sarah Healy (IRL) 2025
8:31.50 - Jo Pavey (GBR) 2007
8:32.47 - Konstanze Klosterhalfen (GER) 2019
