Spain has named a team of 11 athletes for the men's and women's marathon at the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships from 10-16 August.
The women's marathon team is headed by reigning European champion Fatima Ouhaddou who won gold at the inaugural edition of the European Running Championships in Brussels-Leuven last April when she overcame a fall to win the title. She also led Spain to marathon team gold.
The fastest runner on the women's team is Laura Luengo who has a 2:22:31 PB. She also finished a creditable 11th-place - and the third European finisher - in oppressive conditions at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Luengo was due to race in the London Marathon this April but was forced to withdraw due to injury.
The Spanish team also features Meritxell Soler (2:23:49 PB), Esther Navarrete (2:24:31) and Carolina Robles (2:24:56). Navarrete was also part of Spain’s gold medal-winning team in the marathon at the 2025 European Running Championships.
The men’s team is headed by Spanish half marathon record-holder Carlos Mayo who will be making his debut in a major championships marathon.
Mayo will be joined by 2016 European 5000m champion Ilias Fifa (2:08:36), 2018 European 3000m steeplechase silver medallist Fernando Carro (2:09:07) along with Paris 2024 Olympian Ibrahim Chakir (2:07:21), Jorge Gonzalez (2:08:34) and Nassim Hassaous (2:08:44).
Spain has an excellent tradition in the marathon at the European Athletics Championships. A team which was helmed by Martin Fiz led the Spaniards to a memorable clean sweep in Helsinki 1994, the first and only clean sweep in the marathon in European Athletics Championships history.
Both marathons will take place on 16 August, the last day of the championships, with the men's race starting at 7.30am and the women's race at 8.10am.