Bydgoszcz has been awarded both the European Athletics U20 Championships and European Athletics U23 Championships for 2027, it was confirmed at the European Athletics Council meeting in Sarajevo on Friday (2).
The championships will take place consecutively in the Polish city in the summer of 2027 at yet-to-be-confirmed dates. The only other occasion the two biennial events have taken place in the same city in the same year was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Tallinn, Estonia hosted both events.
The Polish city has a rich history of hosting major international athletics championships, as well as the Irena Szewińska Memorial, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, every summer at the 20,000 capacity Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Municipal Stadium.
Both championships revisit Bydgoszcz
Bydgoszcz last hosted the European Athletics U23 Championships in 2017, where the winners included the men’s 400m hurdles world record holder Karsten Warholm (Norway), Olympic men’s hammer silver medallist Bence Halász (Hungary) and former European Indoor 60m champion Ewa Swoboda (Poland).
The city also hosted the European Athletics U20 Championships in 1979, where the gold medallists included 1983 World 1500m champion Steve Cram (Great Britain), former discus world record holder Jürgen Shultz (Germany) and 1984 Olympic decathlon bronze medallist Siegfried Wentz (Germany).
The 2019 European Athletics Team Championships also took place in Bydgoszcz where the host nation became champions for the first time in their history.
Bydgoszcz has also hosted the 1999 World Athletics Youth Championships, the 2004 European Cup, the 2008 and 2016 World Athletics U20 Championships and the 2010 and 2013 World Cross Country Championships.
President and CEO praise bid
After the award of the events, European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov said: “Congratulations to Bydgoszcz for being awarded both the European Athletics U23 Championships and the European Athletics U20 Championships for 2027.
“The European Athletics Council members were very impressed with the Bydgoszcz bid and presentation, and we are confident they will put on two great events to support the development of Europe’s most talented young athletes.
“Bydgoszcz has a well-earned reputation as one of the most reliable and respected hosts of international athletics championships. Athletics is also a very popular and high profile sport in Poland, so we have high expectations for Bydgoszcz 2027 to be another wonderful occasion for our sport.”
Meanwhile, Christian Milz, CEO, European Athletics commented: “The Polish Athletic Federation has long been a trusted partner to deliver European Athletics events. So, when we decided to award the European Athletics U23 Championships and the European Athletics U20 Championships to the same venue, we were thrilled that Bydgoszcz came forward.
“In 2021, the pandemic led us to asking Tallinn to also host the U23s after initially being awarded the U20s and we were grateful for their successful staging of both events in unprecedented times.
“But this is the first time, since the creation of the U23 championships in 1997, that we have made a conscious decision to award the U20 and U23 championships to a single host.
“Not only will this create a bigger occasion with two championships within two weeks in the host venue, but it will also help with logistics for Member Federations and the event workforce.
"Plus, there are also sustainability benefits with fewer resources and less travel involved in the event delivery. Depending upon its success, it is a model that we may look to replicate in future years.”
"Truly grateful"
"We are truly grateful for the trust placed in us," said Iwona Waszkiewicz, the Deputy Mayor of Bydgoszcz.
"Bydgoszcz is a city where athletics legacy already exists — and thrives. We believe this is where the careers of future European and world champions will begin. The 2027 Championships won’t just be an event — they’ll be the beginning of something greater."
This summer both events are being hosted in Nordic nations with the Bergen 2025 European Athletics U23 Championships taking place in 17-20 July and the Tampere 2025 European Athletics U20 Championships on 7-10 August.
Packed agenda for Council
The European Athletics Council meeting in Sarajevo, take splace all weekend (2-4 May). President Dobromir Karamarinov opened the three-day gathering with a report on his activities on behalf of European Athletics.
Across the weekend, the council will be listening to progress from the LOCs for the Madrid 2025 European Athletics Team Championship and the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships.
Plus, they will review the European Off Road Championships after its first two editions in El Paso 2022 and Annecy 2024. They will also discuss and agree the qualification standards for the Rieti 2026 European Athletics U18 Championships.
There is an update on Organisation and Strategy led by CEO Christian Milz, plus Commission led updates in areas of Events and Competition, Development and Governance. There will also be an update on operations, including Finances, Marketing and HR.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics