Great Britain won this title in Rome two years ago in 41.91 and the hosts could name an almost unchanged team as they endeavour to win this title for the fourth time since 2014.
Their relay pool includes Dina Asher-Smith, Amy Hunt and Daryll Neita, all of whom were part of their victorious team in Rome that also went on to win Olympic silver behind the United States a few months later in Paris.
European record - German Democratic Republic (GDR/GER) 41.38
European lead - Great Britain & NI (GBR) 42.06
Championship record - German Democratic Republic (GDR/GER) 41.68
Roma 2024 medallists
Great Britain (GBR) 41.91
France (FRA) 42.15
Netherlands (NED) 42.46
Five to watch
- Great Britain & NI (GBR)
- Germany (GER)
- Spain (ESP)
- Poland (POL)
- Netherlands (NED)
But the Germans have been challenging the Brits for the mantle of leading European nation in the sprint relay. The 2022 European champions won Olympic bronze behind Great Britain at the 2024 Olympic Games before beating the Brits for bronze at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Germany will be sending a team full of experience including 2022 European 100m champion Gina Lückenkemper and Rebekka Haase who ran the third and fourth legs of their gold medal-winning team at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich.
With Jaël Bestué and Maríbel Pérez in their ranks, Spain has emerged as a very fast and reliable team in the women’s 4x100m and will challenge for their first ever medal in the event. The Spaniards have made the podium at the 2024 and 2025 World Relays and finished a creditable fifth in Tokyo last September, just behind Germany and Great Britain.
The Netherlands won bronze two years ago and will be in contention for back-to-back medals although their team might not be at their very strongest with Minke Bisschops and N'Ketia Seedo injured and Marije Van Hunenstijn now retired.
A Dutch team which included Nadine Visser and Lieke Klaver sped to a national record of 42.02 at the European Athletics Team Championships in Madrid last year, just ahead of hosts Spain who also improved their national record to 42.11.
The 16-country entry-list also includes Poland and Italy, the silver and bronze medallists at the 2022 European Athletics Championships, as well as Switzerland whose team includes Géraldine Di-Tizio Frey, the 2026 European 100m leader with 10.96.
Two of the other improving teams in the event are Austria and Portugal whose quartets will arrive full of confidence having recently set national records.
An Austrian team including Isabel Posch and 2016 Olympic 100m finalist Christania Williams - who was cleared to run for Austria last December having previously competed for Jamaica - recently clocked a national record of 43.11 while Portugal also ran a national record of 43.11 to reach the final at the 2026 World Relays.
The Portuguese team features former German Tatjana Pinto who ran a national 100m record of 11.02 at her national championships and 43-year-old veteran Lorene Bazolo who ran 11.10 last year.