Marathon Handbook previews 2026 Europeans

Marathon Handbook on August 5 published a race guide for the marathon finale of the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, setting out the course, start times, viewing options and a short list of medal contenders. The piece said the championships will close on Sunday, August 16, with the women starting at 7:30 a.m. British Summer Time and the men at 8:10 a.m. on an eight-lap, city-center circuit. It named Finland’s Camilla Richardsson among the women to watch and pointed to her fifth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships marathon in Tokyo. European Athletics has separately confirmed the marathon date, start times and city-center route. ### Why did Camilla Richardsson stand out in this preview? Marathon Handbook identified Camilla Richardsson as a leading European contender in the women’s race and tied that case to championship form rather than only personal-best time. The article said Richardsson was the top European finisher in the women’s marathon at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, where she placed fifth in hot conditions. (marathonhandbook.com) World Athletics lists Richardsson, a Finnish athlete born on September 14, 1993, with a marathon personal best of 2:24:38, set on December 3, 2023. Her profile also lists a Finnish national record of 31:12.78 for 10,000 meters, underlining the track background that preceded her move into championship road racing. ### What exactly is the Birmingham marathon course? European Athletics on July 20 said both marathons will start and finish in Victoria Square and cover eight laps of a five-kilometer city-center circuit. (marathonhandbook.com) The governing body said the route gives spectators repeated views of the race and named Colmore Row, Church Street, Holliday Street, Granville Street and Warstone Lane among the recommended viewing points. (worldathletics.org) Marathon Handbook described the same setup as a compact downtown loop through Broad Street, Colmore Row and Church Street. The outlet said the road races are free to attend and do not require a ticket, making the marathon one of the most accessible parts of the championships for spectators in Birmingham. ### When do the races happen, and how do they fit into the championships? (european-athletics.com) European Athletics said in October 2025 that the road running marathon would be held on the morning of Sunday, August 16, the final day of the championships, which run from August 10 to 16 at Alexander Stadium. Eurovision Sport’s event page also lists the championships across those same dates and places the marathon final on Sunday morning. (marathonhandbook.com) Marathon Handbook’s August 5 preview said the marathons will “close the meet” on the streets of Birmingham, the first British city to host the championships. Its separate schedule page for the wider meet also lists the championships from August 10 to 16. ### How can viewers watch from Britain, Europe and elsewhere? Marathon Handbook said BBC platforms will carry the championships free-to-air in the United Kingdom, including BBC One, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, with radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live. (european-athletics.com) It said Warner Bros. Discovery platforms, including Eurosport, discovery+ and TNT Sports, will carry coverage across much of Europe. (marathonhandbook.com) Eurovision Sport says the championships will also be available live and free on its platform, subject to territorial restrictions. The event page says the race walks and marathon will take place on Birmingham’s streets and finish in Victoria Square rather than inside Alexander Stadium. ### Who else did the preview put forward? Marathon Handbook said the men’s contenders are led by Germany’s Amanal Petros and the women’s field by Finland’s Alisa Vainio in its personal-best rankings, while also highlighting Richardsson as a proven championship racer. (marathonhandbook.com) The same preview framed the women’s race around athletes with either fast lifetime marks or recent results in major championships. (eurovisionsport.com) On August 16, the women’s marathon is due to start at 7:30 a.m. BST and the men’s at 8:10 a.m., with both races beginning and ending in Victoria Square in Birmingham. European Athletics said final timetable details and route information would be published through its event channels, while Marathon Handbook directed readers to official event pages for country-by-country viewing details. (european-athletics.com) (marathonhandbook.com)