France’s Jimmy Gressier won his first senior international title, taking gold in the men’s half marathon at the European Running Championships in Leuven on Saturday (12) with a brilliant display of front running.
With a personal best of 59:45, he also lay claim to a championship record for the event which has previously taken place within the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam 2016 and Roma 2024.
Fast start
Gressier set his stall out immediately, going right to the front from the start. Within the first kilometre, a lead pack of four athletes including Norway's Awet Nftalem Kibrab, Ireland's Efrem Gidey and French teammate Valentin Gondouin had already established a gap from the main pack.
By 2km, Gondouin fell back to leave the three main protagonists clear up front. At 3km, Gressier used the incline to test his rivals and gained a ten metre advantage. It was bridged on the descent with Gidey and Kibrab reeling the Frenchman back.
But in ever warming conditions it was a temporary respite as Gressier maintained a relentless pace, going through 5km at 13:52. At that point, Gidey had begun to falter, settling into third place as Kibrab battled to stay with the flying Gressier. But by 6km, Kibrab also cracked as Gressier eased clear, looking ever more purposeful with every stride.
With a healthy crowd watching throughout the course, Gressier motioned for encouragement at regular intervals as it became a battle between him and the clock.
At 10km, Gressier was well clear and well inside European record pace, clocked at 27:50, 12 seconds clear of Kibrab with Gidey a further 12 seconds adrift.
Running solo, Gressier struggled to maintain the same searing pace, covering the next 5km in 14:27 to stay just in touch with Julien Wanders six-year-old European record of 59:13. He faded in the latter half of the race, but still managed to clip a second off his personal best to win in 59:45.
At the pre-event press conference he had hinted at a victory celebration that would reveal his track intentions this year. Having hurdled the finishing tape, he later confirmed the steeplechase as his most likely destination this summer.
Great battle for bronze
Kibrab ran admirably to take silver in 61:08. But behind him a fascinating battle ensued for bronze. At 18km Gondouin had got back on terms with a Gidey. From that point, they stayed in lock step in a battle for bronze.
It came down to the last 200 metres, where Gondouin just had enough left to outsprint the wilting Gidey by one second, clocking 61:54 for another French medal, as Gressier cheered him home.
“I am very happy because it is my first title as a senior,” said Gressier afterwards. “I love running I love half marathon. I am very, very happy.”
On his race tactics and celebration, he said: “My plan is to tun alone, I feel free when I run alone. I wanted to push from the start and run for the win. In the summer, I want to do steeplechase, so I celebrate like this because I will do steeplechase in the summer.”
"This season I have achieved all my goals. Now it’s time to enjoy those results this afternoon with my family. We will focus on the next races after my holidays. I haven’t run a half marathon since 2023, it’s the third one of my career.
"I was delighted to run that distance again, it’s a distance I really appreciate. It feels quite easy for me because we run in a good pace that’s quite comfortable, it’s just a bit long. I am very satisfied of this performance today. I am not planning to run much more half marathons anytime soon."
With Bastien Augusto placing 15th, France wrapped up the team title ahead of Spain who ran effectively in a pack though Jorge Blanco, Carlos Mayo, and Javier Guerra placing 7th, 8th and 9th respectively.
Italy won team bronze via Yohanes Chiappinelli (5th), Ahmed Ouhda (14th) and Xavier Chevrier (17th).
Gondouin concluded a good day's work, commenting: "The European Road Running Championships are a great initiative. It’s a festival for runners. On the course there were spectators every where. The last part in the city was incredible and that gives us wings."
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics