After a seven-year hiatus, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter begins as the outstanding favourite to win her second European title at the inaugural 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.
Chemtai Salpeter was crowned European 10,000m champion in her breakthrough season in 2018 but the 36-year-old Kenyan-born Israeli has since excelled in the marathon and is the third fastest European in history behind Sifan Hassan (2:13:44) and Paula Radcliffe (2:15:25) with a lifetime best of 2:17:45.
That performance dates back to 2020 but Chemtai Salpeter has still been a factor at the classic distance in recent years, especially in non-paced races. She has finished third and fourth at the last two editions of the World Athletics Championships as well as a creditable ninth - and the third European finisher home - at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Spain set to reign in the team race
If Chemtai Salpeter was to falter, one of the likely beneficiaries will be Spain’s Majida Maayouf who finished 17th in the marathon in Paris 2024. Maayouf holds the Spanish record with 2:21:01 from the 2023 Valencia Marathon and narrowly missed that mark in last year’s race, finishing fifth in 2:21:43.
And assuming all three athletes finish, the Spaniards begin as the overwhelming favourites for the team title as well. Their triumvirate includes Fatima Ouhaddou Nafie and Esther Navarrete who have lifetime bests of 2:24:05 and 2:24:40 respectively which should put them in contention for individual medals as well.
And there is also a possibility of an individual medal for Belgium as well. The fastest runner on the host nation’s team is Hanne Verbruggen who finished just two places behind Maayouf in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in 19th.
Verbruggen’s preparations did suffer a knock - in the most literal sense - in January when she fell in training and broke her jaw but assuming she has recovered fully from that accident, the 31-year-old - who has a 2:26:32 PB - could make history by becoming the first Belgian woman to win a marathon medal in European Athletics Championships history.
Other prospective medal contenders include Italian veteran Giovanna Epis (2:23:46 PB), Finland’s Camilla Richardsson (2:24:38 PB) and France’s Melody Julien (2:25:01 PB) who led the early-to-mid stages of the Olympic Games marathon on home soil in Paris 2024.
2022 European marathon champion Aleksandra Lisowska from Poland is a late withdrawal and will not defend her title in Brussels-Leuven.
The marathon was first held at the European Athletics Championships in Athens 1982 when Portugal’s Rosa Mota claimed her first of three titles while the championship record is held by France’s Christelle Daunay who clocked 2:25:14 to win gold in Zurich 2014.
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.