Italy’s Francesco Fortunato has moved steadily through the race walking ranks in recent years and the 31-year-old will be looking to crown his season by becoming the inaugural winner of the half marathon race walk title at the 2026 European Athletics Championships.
European record - Francesco Fortunato (ITA) 1:23:00
European lead - Francesco Fortunato (ITA) 1:23:00
Championship record - New event
Roma 2024 medallists (20km race walk)
Perseus Karlström (SWE) 1:19:13
Paul McGrath (ESP) 1:19:31
Francesco Fortunato (ITA) 1:19:54
Five to watch
- Francesco Fortunato (ITA)
- Paul McGrath (ESP)
- Diego Garcia (ESP)
- Leo Köpp (GER)
- João Vieira (POR)
Fortunato won bronze in the 20km race walk in Rome in 2024 but he will have his sights on a medal of a brighter hue in Birmingham. He is unbeaten in six races this year, a string of victories which includes the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Brasilia where he outpaced local hero and world champion Caio Bonfim in the latter stages.
One month later, Fortunato established the first ever European record at the newly established discipline with a 1:23:00 clocking in Podebrady, comfortably inside the European record target time of 1:23:30. In fact this was the Italian’s second record-breaking performance of the year after clocking 17:54.48 for a world indoor 5000m race walk record in February.
The Spaniards are perennial medal contenders at any race walking distance at either European or global level. Their triumvirate is composed of 2024 European silver medallist and 2025 world bronze medallist Paul McGrath along with Álvaro López and Diego Garcia.
Garcia, who won the Spanish title at this distance at the start of the year, will be targeting his third European medal after winning silver and bronze in the 20km race walk in 2018 and 2022 respectively.
The Germans have also named a strong team which includes Christopher Linke and Leo Köpp, the second and fourth fastest athletes on the entry-list with season’s bests of 1:23:46 and 1:24:27. However, Linke is also on the entry-list for the marathon race walk which takes place on the same morning.
2024 European 20km race walk champion Perseus Karlström is another notable no-show with the Swede opting to contest the marathon race walk at these championships.
And while he isn’t anticipated to challenge for medals, Portugal's João Vieira is still deserving of an honorary mention.
The 50-year-old is the oldest athlete registered for Birmingham 2026 and this will be his seventh appearance at the European Athletics Championships, his first dating all the way back to Budapest 1998.
Vieira, who won bronze in the 20km race walk in 2006 and silver in 2010, has clocked 1:29:54 for the half marathon distance and is still the fastest of the Portuguese triumvirate entered for this discipline.
