Italy's Nadia Battocletti will be seeking to become a European champion on three different surfaces in less than a year at the inaugural edition of the European Running Championships in Brussels-Leuven on 12-13 April.
The European Running Championships will be streamed live from start to finish with English-language commentary on the European Athletics website.
Battocletti won a 5000/10,000m double at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships before bookending her memorable year which also included an Olympic 10,000m silver in Paris 2024 by becoming the first Italian winner of the senior women's race at the Antalya 2024 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in December.
But Battocletti, who also led the Italians to the team title in Antalya and will be looking to come away from Brussels-Leuven with two medals for posterity, faces one of the toughest fields of the entire championships in the women’s 10km on Sunday (13) on the streets of Leuven.
European leader Lukan provides threat
Slovenia’s Klara Lukan ran a superb 30:26 in Castellón, Spain in February to move to fourth on the European all-time list. She has the quickest personal best of all the entrants.
Lukan was fifth behind her long-time contemporary Battocletti in the 10,000m at the 2024 European Athletics Championships but she is a fast improving athlete and is sure to figure at this longer distance.
Lukan was the silver medallist behind Battocletti at both the 2021 European Athletics U23 Championships over 5000m in Tallinn and in the U23 race at the Dublin 2021 SPAR European Cross Country Championships. However, Lukan did beat Battocletti for the 5000m title at the 2019 European Athletics U20 Championships in Boras.
The Netherland’s Diane van Es won silver behind Battocletti in the 10,000m in Rome and with a personal best from of 30:29, she is the second fastest in the field. The Dutch athlete, who has also entered the half marathon which takes place on the first day of the two-day championships, is already enjoying a great season on the roads, having set a European record of 14:39 over 5km in Monaco in February.
Another top contender is Türkiye’s vastly experienced Yasemin Can, who boasts an impressive personal best of 31:16 but has run almost one minute faster on the track with 30:26.41.
A formidable force on all surfaces, Can is a three-time European track champion and a four-time winner at cross country. She claimed a 5000/10,000m double at the Amsterdam 2016 European Athletics Championships at the age of 19 before regaining her 10,000m title at Munich 2022.
She also won the senior title at four consecutive SPAR European Cross Country Championships between 2016-19. Still only 28, she had a spell on the sidelines with injury that kept her out for much of 2023 and 2024 but she returned to form with bronze on home soil at the 2024 European Cross Country Championships in Antalya behind Battocletti.
Van Lent leads home hopes
The biggest home hope is Jana van Lent who was fifth in the senior women’s race in Antalya 2024. She is also fresh from setting a national record of 31:17 in Cannes, France in February, so is rounding into form at the right time.
She heads up a strong home contingent that also includes Lisa Rooms who was sixth individually at the Brussels 2023 SPAR European Cross Country Championships and a team bronze medallist at the last two editions. Once again, the Belgians will have prospects of making the podium as a collective.
Sweden’s Sarah Lahti is a seasoned competitor on all surfaces and she has shown she is in good shape already this season, clocked 31:29 to win over 10km in Payerne, Switzerland.
The French challenge will be led by Mekdes Woldu who drops down in distance having recently set a national record of 2:23:13 in the Barcelona Marathon in March.
Caune heads youthful challenge
Among the younger athletes, Latvia’s Agate Caune, who won 3000/5000m gold at the Jerusalem 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships is also worth watching. In good conditions, her personal best of 33:10 is under serious threat.
For Great Britain, European U23 cross country champion Phoebe Anderson, whose personal best stands at 32:25, will be looking to establish her credentials at senior level and there will also be an interesting cameo appearance in the sport by 2016 Olympian over 10,000m Beth Potter who transitioned to triathlon and has since become world champion (2023) and Olympic bronze medallist (2024).
Also watch out for a strong Finnish team which features Ilona Mononen and Nathalie Blomqvist, the silver and bronze medallists respectively in the U23 race at the 2023 SPAR European Cross Country Championships which was held in Brussels.
Blomqvist, who finished fifth in the 5000m at the 2024 European Athletics Championships before reaching the Olympic 5000m final in Paris, is the fastest member of the Finnish team with a lifetime best of 31:26.
There are 89 athletes representing 36 countries in the women's 10km at this inaugural edition of the event.
Entries are still open for recreational runners who will have the unique opportunity to run with the elite athletes for the first time ever at a European Athletics Championship. Limited places are still available across 10km, half marathon and marathon disciplines.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics