The 2026 European Athletics Championships began in Birmingham, with the opening evening session featuring the men's 5,000m and women's 100m finals plus a mixed 4x400m relay.
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Key facts
- Alexander Stadium in Birmingham hosts the European Athletics Championships, two years after Rome.
- Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen contests the men's 5,000m final at 8.40pm BST.
- France's world 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier is among Ingebrigtsen's rivals.
- Dina Asher-Smith defends her women's 100m title against GB teammate Amy Hunt at 9.50pm BST.
- A mixed 4x400m relay also features on day one.
The 2026 European Athletics Championships got under way in Birmingham, with the Alexander Stadium taking centre stage after Rome hosted the event two years ago. According to the Guardian’s live coverage, the opening evening session promised strong British interest to keep the home crowd engaged.
The programme opened with two headline finals. Norway’s long-distance specialist Jakob Ingebrigtsen lined up in the men’s 5,000m final at 8.40pm BST, aiming to put injury and illness worries behind him. He faced competition from France’s world 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier.
The session was set to culminate in the women’s 100m final at 9.50pm BST. Defending champion Dina Asher-Smith went out to retain the title she won two years earlier, up against Great Britain teammate Amy Hunt, who won Commonwealth silver in Glasgow the previous month.
A mixed 4x400m relay was also on the day one schedule, adding to the evening’s line-up of events at the Birmingham venue.
Why it matters
The European Athletics Championships bring elite continental competition to a UK stage, offering British athletes home advantage in high-profile finals. Events like the women's 100m and men's 5,000m draw major attention across European sport.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the 2026 European Athletics Championships being held?
They are being held at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, two years after the previous edition in Rome.
Who are the headline athletes on day one?
Day one features Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the men's 5,000m and France's Jimmy Gressier, plus Dina Asher-Smith defending her women's 100m title against teammate Amy Hunt.
What time were the main finals scheduled?
The men's 5,000m final was set for 8.40pm BST and the women's 100m final for 9.50pm BST.
Timeline
- European Athletics Championships: 25 of the best images – in pictures
The Guardian Sport: We take a look back at some of our favourite track and field images from Birmingham after Great Britain finished second in the medal table Continue reading…
- Birmingham 2026: Final night of European Athletics Championships: Hunt seals fourth gold medal – live
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- Birmingham 2026: European athletics championships day seven – live
The Guardian Sport: Hunt, Duplantis and Hunter Bell in action in final session Security scare at Alexander Stadium | Email Billy Here’s what’s coming up at Alexander Stadium (all times BST) … 7.15pm – pole vault (men) final 7.55pm – long jump (women) final 8.35pm – 4x100m relay (mixed) final 8.50pm
- European Athletics Championships: O’Connor wins heptathlon gold, with Anning out of 400m final on day six – live
The Guardian Sport: Live athletics updates from 7.45pm BST Email Luke | Sign up for The Recap Tom Bassam is stepping in for an hour. Kate O’Connor (Ireland) 5,812pts Emma Oosterwegel (Netherlands) 5,761pts Sofie Dokter (Netherlands) 5,741pts Annik Kälin (Switzerland) 5,707pts Sophie Weißenberg (Germ
- European Athletics Championships: O’Connor goes for heptathlon gold on day six – live
The Guardian Sport: Live athletics updates from 7.45pm BST Email Luke | Sign up for The Recap When Audrey Werro was a child , she was so painfully shy that her father told her she had to become a lion every time she raced. In a European women’s 800m final for the ages, she followed that advice to th
- European Athletics Championships 2026: Warholm wins 400m hurdles, Hodgkinson chases gold in 800m, men’s 200m final – live
The Guardian Sport: Updates from Friday’s evening session in Birmingham Amy Hunt sets sights on four golds | Mail Tanya 10,000m: Nadia Battocletti , the defending champion, who already has the 5000m gold under her belt, is the favourite in the 10,000m. Poppy Tank, Megan Keith and Izzy Fry go for GB
- European Athletics Championships 2026: men’s 400m hurdles final, Hodgkinson chases gold in 800m, men’s 200m final – live
The Guardian Sport: Updates from Friday’s evening session in Birmingham Amy Hunt sets sights on four golds | Mail Tanya 10,000m: Nadia Battocletti , the defending champion, who already has the 5000m gold under her belt, is the favourite in the 10,000m. Poppy Tank, Megan Keith and Izzy Fry go for GB
- European Athletics Championships 2026: Battocletti wins 10,000m, Hodgkinson chases gold in 800m, men’s 200m final – live
The Guardian Sport: Updates from Friday’s evening session in Birmingham Amy Hunt sets sights on four golds | Mail Tanya 10,000m: Nadia Battocletti , the defending champion, who already has the 5000m gold under her belt, is the favourite in the 10,000m. Poppy Tank, Megan Keith and Izzy Fry go for GB
- European Athletics Championships 2026: Hodgkinson chases gold in 800m, men’s 200m final, and more – live
The Guardian Sport: Updates from Friday’s evening session in Birmingham Latest report | Follow us on Instagram | Mail Tanya The empty seats at Birmingham this week have raised a few eyebrows – though I’m not sure how many people would volunteer to watch an afternoon of anything in 30 degree heat and
- European Athletics Championship 2026: GB’s Amy Hunt goes for glory again on day four – live
The Guardian Sport: Updates from the evening session in Birmingham Hudson-Smith surges to 400m gold | Mail Luke Stand … and deliver. On a balmy night in Birmingham, Matt Hudson-Smith powered past the stand bearing his name at the Alexander Stadium and into history by becoming the first man to win t
- European Athletics Championships: day three from Birmingham – live
The Guardian Sport: Live updates from the third day of action Email Luke | Sign up for The Recap For good measure here are Sean’s reports from Monday: And Tuesday: Continue reading…
- Birmingham 2026: European Athletics Championships day two – live
The Guardian Sport: Highlights are men’s 100m and women’s 100m hurdles Hodgkinson up and running | Ticket backlash | Mail Billy What happened this morning? The early session saw the fight for women’s 800m glory crank into gear. The three standout names – Keely Hodgkinson, Audrey Weero and Femke Broe
- Birmingham 2026: European Athletics Championships day one – live
The Guardian Sport: Women’s 100m and men’s 5,000m top opening billing Britain ends 92-year wait | Mail Billy | Follow on TikTok Hello and welcome to the first evening session of the European athletics championships. After Rome two years ago, it’s Birmingham’s turn to take centre stage as the Alexand