As the final echoes of the indoor season fade and the hard grind of winter training winds down, Europe’s finest athletes are drawing breath as turn their sights to the summer track and field season.
All roads lead to the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships, which will host the continent’s biggest names from 10–16 August in what promises to be a defining athletics event of the year.
In the months ahead, anticipation will build with every race, jump, and throw. Here’s a look at where some of Europe’s Olympic, world, and European champions are confirmed to compete as they sharpen their form on the road to Birmingham 2026…
Main contenders
Nadia Battocletti (ITA) – European women’s 5000m, 10,000m, 10km and cross country champion, and world indoor 3000m champion
Following her victory at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, the brilliant Italian now holds major titles indoors, outdoors, on the road, and in cross country. She is set to make her first appearance of the summer track season over 1500m at the Pergaso Meeting, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger event on 9 May.
A few weeks later, she is sure to be greeted with a rapturous welcome at the Rome Diamond League on 4 June, where she will race over 5000m.
Kristjan Čeh (SLO) – European men’s discus champion
The giant Slovenian has already opened his year in some very low-key competitions in Ramona, USA. But he is building towards one of his major goals of the season at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational on 9–12 April, where he will be seeking optimum conditions to challenge the world record of 75.56m set by Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna at this meeting last year.
Armand Duplantis (SWE) – Olympic, world, European and world indoor men’s pole vault champion
The world record holder and one of the sport’s superstars is a major attraction across the Diamond League circuit. His current plans are to open at the Shanghai/Keqiao Diamond League on 16 May and then compete in front of his home fans in Stockholm on 7 June.
Mattia Furlani (ITA) – World men’s long jump champion
The men’s long jump is shaping up to be one of the most exciting events in the sport, with Portugal’s new world indoor champion Gerson Baldé, Bulgaria’s European indoor champion Bozhidar Sarâboyukov, Olympic and European champion Miltiadis Tentoglou all viable challengers to world champion Mattia Furlani for gold at Birmingham 2026.
Furlani has seamlessly transitioned his brilliant age-group career to the senior ranks. The 21-year-old already has seven major championship medals to his name.
There is a mouthwatering clash at the Xiamen Diamond League on 23 May featuring Fulani, Sarâboyukov and Tentoglou. The Italian is also sure to have the backing of the crowd when he competes at the Rome Diamond League on 4 June.
Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) – Olympic, European and world indoor women’s 800m champion
Off the back of a brilliant indoor season, where she set a new world record and won her first world title, the British athlete has confirmed she will compete at the Stockholm Diamond League on 7 June.
Ditaji Kambundji (SUI) – World 100m hurdles champion and European indoor 60m hurdles champion
The Swiss athlete enjoyed a superb year, winning both the European indoor 60m hurdles title in a new European record and then going on to win the world 100m hurdles title. She will be looking for another medal-laden year and will compete in a stacked 100m hurdles race at the Xiamen Diamond League on 23 May.
Josh Kerr (GBR) – World indoor men’s 3000m champion
Fresh from a brilliant victory at the World Athletics Indoor Championships over 3000m, the British runner turns his attention to the 1500m/mile for the summer.
The 2023 world 1500m champion has committed to racing at the London Diamond League on 18 July, where he will target the world record of 3:43.13, held by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj since 1999.
Perseus Karlström (SWE) – European men’s 20km race walk champion
Like the rest of the world’s elite race walkers, the Swede is adjusting to the new championship distances of half marathon and marathon, which will debut at Birmingham 2026. He is set to race in the half marathon at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Brasília on 12 April.
Lieke Klaver (NED) - European indoor 400m champion, European 4x400m gold medallist, Olympic mixed 4x400m gold medallist
Prolific relay medallist Klaver has enjoyed back to back successful indoor seasons recently winning world indoor 400m bronze a year on from taking 400m gold at the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships.
She is set to open her outdoor campaign at the World Athletics Relays on 2-3 May in Gaborone, Botswana alongside Dutch teammates including Eugene Omalla, who was also part of the same Netherlands mixed 4x400m relay team who won gold at the Paris Olympics.
Dominic Lobalu (SUI) - European men’s 10,000m champion
The Swiss athlete will begin his build-up to a potential title defence in Birmingham with a sharp test over 1500m at the Lange Laufnacht in Karlsruhe, Germany on 31 May.
Lurdes Gloria Manuel (CZE) – World indoor women’s 400m champion
The 20-year-old Czech produced a breakthrough victory at the World Athletics Indoor Championships and is sure to receive a huge reception at the Golden Spike in Ostrava on 16 June.
Malaika Mihambo (GER) – European women’s long jump champion
One of the most experienced athletes in the sport, the former Olympic and world champion is targeting her sixth appearance at the European Athletics Championships and her third title.
She has confirmed she will compete at the Internationales Pfingstsportfest Rehlingen on 24 May and the Stockholm Diamond League on 7 June.
Yemisi Ogunleye (GER) – Olympic women’s shot put champion
Having won bronze at the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships and silver at the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships, the German Olympic champion is closing in on a first continental title.
She has confirmed her participation at the Internationales Pfingstsportfest Rehlingen on 24 May.
Jessica Schilder (NED) – World, European and European indoor women’s shot put champion
The Dutch athlete’s hot streak dipped when she placed fourth at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, but she is sure to come firing back this summer as she seeks a third successive title at the European Athletics Championships. She has confirmed she will compete at the Shanghai/Keqiao Diamond League on 16 May.
Agate de Sousa (POR) – World indoor women’s long jump champion
One of the shock winners at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, the Portuguese athlete will compete at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday 7 June.
Daniel Ståhl (SWE) – World men’s discus champion
One of the sport’s most enduring champions, with Olympic gold and three world titles in his collection, Ståhl has yet to win European gold. He will be keen to set that straight this summer.
He is due to compete at the Internationales Pfingstsportfest Rehlingen in Germany on 24 May and at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland, on 3 June.
Jakub Szymański (POL) - World and European indoor 60m hurdles gold medallist
Sprint hurdler Szymański thrilled his Polish fans when winning his first global title in Kuwajy Pomorze in March. He will make outdoor debut less than 50km away from the greatest moment of his career when he lines up at the Irena Szewińska Memorial in Bydgoszcz on 29 May.
Karsten Warholm (NOR) - European 400m hurdles champion
After losing his Olympic and world titles in consecutive seasons, the world record holder will be set on re-asserting his dominance on the international scene, including at Birmingham 2026. He is set to go against old rival Alison dos Santos of Brazil at successive Diamond League meetings in China.
First up is Shanghai/Keqiao on 16 May over the unusual distance of 300m hurdles, a distance over which the Norwegian also holds the world best. A week later, the duo will duel over the standard 400m hurdles in Xiamen.
And what about the record breakers?
Andreas Almgren (SWE) – European men’s 5000m and half marathon record holder
After some near misses for major medals, the Swedish athlete is enjoying a fruitful period in his career. He set a new European 5000m record last year in his hometown of Stockholm and went on to win bronze in the men’s 10,000m at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships.
He then set new European records in the half marathon and 10km—both in Valencia—although the 10km record was subsequently broken by Yann Schrub. He has also been confirmed for the 5000m in the Xiamen Diamond League on 23 May.
Massimo Stano (ITA) – World record holder for men’s 35km race walk
There is the possibility of Stano holding the 35km world record of 2:20:43, which he set at the European Race Walking Team Championships in Poděbrady, for perpetuity, given the transition to half marathon and marathon distances for race walk disciplines in major championships.
The Italian former Olympic and world gold medallist will make his marathon-distance debut at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Brasília on 12 April.
And those who are returning from injury…
Femke Broeders-Bol (NED) - World and European 400m hurdles champion
A single appearance over her new discipline of 800m in Metz in the indoor season gave fans a tantalising glimpse of what possibilities lie ahead for the Dutch superstar when she set a new national record of 1:59:07. But a foot injury ruled her out for the remainder of the indoor campaign.
Since then, she has got married to Belgian pole vauletr Ben Broeders and is in rehabilitation and cycling her way back to fitness with no confirmed outdoor race yet.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) – Olympic 5000m champion, European 1500m and 5000m champion
After a tumultuous summer last year, the brilliant Norwegian bravely returned to action at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo despite missing the whole season due to an Achilles injury. He has since undergone surgery on the troublesome issue and is now returning to training with cycling and running in his home of Sandnes.
Markus Rooth (NOR) – Olympic decathlon champion
The Norwegian Olympic champion missed out on the World Athletics Championships after a freak pole vault incident in training, where his pole snapped and left him with knee ligament damage. He is now preparing for a summer return with intense training in Marbella, Spain.
[INSTAGRAM ID=http://www.instagram.com/p/DWZP7zejGSW/"]