Ranzi Sports

The European Athletics Championships 2026 concluded in Birmingham on Sunday, 16 August, with the men’s and women’s marathons providing two of the most memorable moments of the final day. Both races produced championship records, bringing the road events to a spectacular close.

Germany’s Amanal Petros won the men’s marathon in 2:09:11, setting a new European Championships record. Petros made his decisive move during the final stages of the race and finished seven seconds ahead of Italy’s Pietro Riva, who took the silver medal in 2:09:18.

Israel’s Gashau Ayale completed the men’s podium, earning the bronze medal with a time of 2:09:21. The close battle at the front kept the result in doubt for much of the race before Petros produced a strong finish to claim his first European marathon title.

The women’s marathon was dominated by Finland’s Alisa Vainio, who led from the early stages and crossed the finish line in 2:22:26. Her performance also set a new championship record and gave Finland a memorable gold medal on the final day in Birmingham.

Hungary’s Lili Anna Vindics-Tóth secured the silver medal with a personal best of 2:27:21, while Great Britain’s Abbie Donnelly delighted the home crowd by taking bronze in 2:27:33. Donnelly’s result added another medal for the host nation during an impressive week of athletics.

The two marathon races provided a fitting conclusion to the championships. Petros and Vainio finished the event as record-breaking European champions, while Riva, Ayale, Vindics-Tóth and Donnelly completed two strong medal-winning performances on the streets of Birmingham.