Biennial continental outdoor athletics championships for Europe
Attendance at Birmingham 2026’s European Athletics Championships is described as underwhelming amid reports of high prices for seats, food and parking. Organisers say sales have surpassed targets, but critics point to a midweek slump and sparse crowds, with tickets for top sessions remaining expensive.
Keely Hodgkinson has reached the European Championships 800m final in Birmingham with a fast heat, as Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol also show form. Hodgkinson seeks a third European title on home soil after a challenging outdoor season.
The European championships have begun at Alexander Stadium. Tentoglou has won long jump gold with 8.44m, despite challenging winds; Britain’s Romell Glave wins 100m and Amy Hunt claims women’s gold. Ingebrigtsen returns from Achilles surgery in the 5,000m; attendance faces ticket-price scrutiny.
England’s track and field team has seen a wave of withdrawals from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, with Johnson-Thompson and Hodgkinson among those pulling out to prioritise the European Championships in Birmingham. Replacements are named; the team cites injuries and scheduling as reasons.
Amy Hunt has claimed the European Championships 100m title on home soil, clocking 11.00 seconds to win GB’s first gold. Dina Asher-Smith finishes fifth as Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen also stars with a 5,000m gold.