For just the second time since 2012, a champion without the surname Ingebrigtsen will be crowned European 1500m champion in Birmingham.
In fact, this will be the first edition of the European Athletics Championships since Gothenburg 2006 without any Ingebrigtsens appearing on the start-line of the men’s 1500m.
European record - Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) 3:26.73
European lead - Josh Kerr (GBR) 3:27.62*
Championship record - Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) 3:31.95
*within mile race
Roma 2024 medallists
- Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) 3:31.95
- Jochem Vermeulen (BEL) 3:33.30
- Pietro Arese (ITA) 3:33.34
Five to watch
- Isaac Nader (POR)
- Jake Wightman (GBR)
- Jake Heyward (GBR)
- Azeddine Habz (FRA)
- Pietro Arese (ITA)
After exiting in the 1500m heats in 2010, Henrik Ingebrigtsen began the family legacy with gold in 2012 before France’s Mahiedine Mekhissi won two years later in Zurich ahead of Henrik.
Since then, Filip won gold in Amsterdam 2016 before Jakob burst onto the senior stage as a 17-year-old with gold in 2018 before defending his title in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
As he battles back from Achilles problems, Jakob will only be contesting the 5000m in Birmingham. Other absentees include his arch-rival Josh Kerr, the 2023 world 1500m champion, and Dutchman Niels Laros who is also on the sidelines with recurring Achilles problems.
But despite these notable absentees, the entry-list for the men’s 1500m is still a deep and credentialed one, including 2025 world champion and silver medallist Isaac Nader and Jake Wightman and France’s Azeddine Habz, the fastest 1500m runner in the world last year.
Nader has raced sparingly in recent weeks but his rivals will be highly aware of his phenomenal ability in sit-and-kick championship races. The Portuguese dynamo produced a 51.28 last lap to move from ninth to first in the 1500m final in Tokyo where he pipped Wightman by 0.02. He also won the European Athletics Team Championships title last year with a closing lap of 52.02.
Habz and Wightman are the only two Europeans on the entry-list to have broken the 3:30-barrier outdoors this year and are evenly matched with season’s bests of 3:29.80 and 3:29.85 respectively.
Both athletes have featured on European podiums in the past. Habz has won three European indoor medals but is yet to make the podium outdoors while Wightman won 1500m bronze behind Ingebrigtsen in Berlin 2018 before upgrading to 800m silver in Munich 2022.
Also watch out for Wightman’s compatriot and namesake Jake Heyward who won silver behind Ingebrigtsen at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich before enduring a torturous time on the sidelines with injuries which wiped out the entirety of his next three seasons.
But the 26-year-old is back and was a brilliant third in the mile in London where Kerr broke the world record, smashing his lifetime best with 3:46.73.
Despite Great Britain’s rich middle distance tradition, not since Steve Cram in 1986 has a Brit won the men’s European 1500m title. Could Wightman, Heyward or even British champion Arlo Ludewick prevail in Birmingham?
And even without Laros in their ranks, the Dutch will still have medal prospects in the event with European indoor 800m champion Sam Chapple and two-time European U23 champion Stefan Nillessen, also an Olympic finalist, due to race.
Other names to watch for include German champion Robert Farken, Belgium’s Jochem Vermeulen and Italy’s Pietro Arese - the silver and bronze medalists behind Ingebrigtsen in Rome two years ago - and 2023 world 1500m bronze medallist Narve Gilje Nordas from Norway.
The wildcard in the field is Spain’s world indoor 1500m champion Mariano Garcia. The Spaniard has a modest season’s best of 3:35.69 which makes him the second slowest on the field based on season’s bests but the 28-year-old is an exceptional championship performer.
Among his numerous accolades, Garcia pipped Wightman for the European 800m title in 2022 and outkicked Nader for the world indoor 1500m title in March.