European Athletics is delighted to announce that the first ever edition of the European Running Championships will take place in Leuven and Brussels on 12-13 April 2025, with the masses joining the elites for a festival of running on the streets of Belgium.
The inaugural edition will see road races take centre stage at a standalone European Championships, featuring three races over two days: 10K, half marathon and marathon. Europe&rsquo;s top distance runners will race alongside the masses, bringing the stars of the sport and their fans closer than ever before.
The marathon course will run from Brussels to Leuven, starting in the heart of the Belgian capital before reaching the finish in the historic heart of Leuven.
The European marathon champion had previously been crowned at the European Championships, but now the classic distance, and its finest exponents, will take the spotlight at their very own festival of running, with medals awarded for individual and team honours at all three distances. Mass-race participants can also compete for medals in brand-new &lsquo;country ranking&rsquo; competition.
&ldquo;The European Running Championships symbolises my vision of a sport that really is for everyone,&rdquo; said European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov. &ldquo;Young and old, male and female, fast and slow, big and small, elite and amateur will all compete together and simultaneously in mass marathon, half marathon and 10km races, with global and national ranking places on offer.&rdquo;
Karamarinov added: &ldquo;For too long, athletics has been seen as a rarefied activity, the preserve of only the super-fit and the super-gifted. All children, and a growing number of adults across our continent, take part in athletics, in the form of recreational running, every day. Yet many of them do not think of themselves as athletes. I am determined to bridge this gap.&rdquo;
European Athletics CEO Christian Milz said: "This will be a unique championships as every runner will be an athlete and every athlete can be a champion. It gives everyone in our sport the chance to experience that unique championships feeling. Welcome to the European Running Championships.&rdquo;
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Pre-register now for the first European Running Championships in 2025

European Athletics has teamed up with American-based events solution company haku to power the 2025 and 2027 European Running Championships, the newest event on the European Athletics calendar of major championships.
Haku will act as the race registration and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) technology partner for the inaugural edition which takes place in Brussels-Leuven, Belgium on 12-13 April 2025.&nbsp;
Not only will Europe&rsquo;s leading distance runners contest for medals across three distances, the European Running Championships will also open its doors to thousands of non-elite runners to register via haku to each of the three championship races: the marathon, half marathon and 10km.
In an effort to deliver an unmatched championship experience for all participants, European Athletics has handpicked haku to power the championships thanks to their dynamic technology ecosystem, unrivalled service and support as well as a clear and proven track record of delivering exceptional results for globally renowned brands and world class events.
European Athletics&rsquo; Running Unit director, Marko Vasic said: &ldquo;With the ambition to be runner-friendly and technology savvy, we at European Athletics strive to have the best runner&rsquo;s digital experience at the first-ever European Running Championships.&nbsp;
&ldquo;With haku solutions, runners will be able to engage with European Athletics and the European running community on their road to the Championships as well as their amazing race day experience. With haku, we will treat every runner as an athlete and every athlete as a champion. Welcome to the European Running Championships - it's about the championship feeling, and for everyone.&rdquo;
Jackie Levi, co-founder and CSO at haku, said: "We are thrilled and deeply honoured to be selected by European Athletics as we support the European Running Championship event and other tech needs for the Running Strategy of European Athletics.&nbsp;
&ldquo;In an ever-evolving world, event organisers demand technology solutions that are not only adaptable and cost-effective but also contribute to measurable revenue growth &ndash; and that's precisely what we offer to our esteemed partners. We eagerly anticipate bringing these transformative benefits to European Athletics and the inaugural European Running Championship.&rdquo;
This partnership between European Athletics and haku represents an exciting development in athletics event technology in Europe.
<img src="https://european-athletics.directus.app/assets/71d5e401-fcc4-4850-a266-8d41db909eeb?width=1390&amp;height=432" alt="Ver2 Color">

European Athletics joins forces with haku for the 2025 and 2027 European Running Championships

France&rsquo;s Jimmy Gressier was one of the standout individual European performers at the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia on Sunday (1).
The nine-time gold medallist at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships demonstrated his versatility and ability across all distances and surfaces with a fifth-place finish in the half marathon in a lifetime best of 59:46 in just his second race at the distance.
In a race which produced a Kenyan clean sweep led by Sebastian Sawe in 59:10, Gressier was the leading non-African finisher in fifth and the Frenchman also moves up to fifth on the European all-time half marathon list.
"It's just my second half marathon so I am very happy, especially with the personal best. During the race I just focussed on myself, on my place, I didn't watch the [time] as it was a world championships," said Gressier, who added he has half-an-eye on the European record of 59:13 which stands to Julien Wanders.&nbsp;
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With two finishers inside the top-10, Great Britain claimed a bronze medal in the women&rsquo;s team race in the half marathon.
Spearheaded by early leaders Calli Thackery and Samantha Harrison who finished seventh and ninth in 68:58 and 69:26 respectively and backed up by Clara Evans in 22nd in 70:53, the British triumvirate pipped South Africa for bronze by 11 seconds based on cumulative times - 3:29:15 to 3:29:16 - behind Kenya (3:22:25) and Ethiopia (3:27:55).
Despite Paula Radcliffe triumphing individually at three editions of the World Half Marathon Championships, this was just Great Britain&rsquo;s second team medal at this distance after individual winner Liz McColgan led the Brits to team silver at the inaugural World Half Marathon Championships in 1992.
And Calli Thackery also follows in the footsteps of her father Carl who won individual and team bronze at the 1993 World Half Marathon Championships.&nbsp;
"I have been trying to get under the 69 minutes for quite a long time, so I am delighted to do it in a Championship race," said Thackery.&nbsp;
<h2 dir="ltr">Elson strikes for a surprise silver in the road mile</h2>
That was Great Britain&rsquo;s second medal of the day after Callum Elson won a surprise but superb individual silver in the men&rsquo;s road mile.&nbsp;
With more than a dozen athletes still in contention for the title with the finish-line just beyond the Monument of Freedom in sight, the Brit struck early into a strong headwind and was rewarded for his aggressive running.
Elson was run down in the last 50 metres by 20-year-old Hobbs Kessler from the United States who won in a world record of 3:56.13 but Elson held on for silver in 3:56.41, just ahead of former world record-holder Sam Prakel (3:56.43) and France&rsquo;s Mael Gouyette (3:56.57).
&ldquo;When we were coming into the final 100m, I just thought: &lsquo;if you don&rsquo;t give it a go and try to win, you are going to go to bed and regret it&rsquo;. So, I thought, &lsquo;strike now and give it everything&rsquo;. I just about held on for a medal. I was fading badly so another 50 metres I would have been in a world of trouble,&rdquo; said Elson.
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Elson&rsquo;s time of 3:56.41 was the fastest time ever recorded by a European on a record eligible course but outside the European record target time which has been set at 3:52.5.&nbsp;
In the women&rsquo;s 5km which opened the programme, Italy&rsquo;s Nadia Battocletti looked more than at home as she committed to the leading group which contained the likes of world 5000m bronze medallist Beatrice Chebet who opened Kenya&rsquo;s title haul in 14:35.&nbsp;
Behind a phalanx of Kenyans and Ethiopians, Battocletti was an excellent fifth in an Italian record of 14:45, just one second shy of Sifan Hassan&rsquo;s European 5km record in a women&rsquo;s only race.
Her long-time rival in the age-group ranks, Slovenia&rsquo;s Klara Lukan was tenth in a national record of 15:25.
France's Etienne Daguinos was the leading European finisher in the men's 5km in sixth in 13:25. Awet Kibrab equalled the Norwegian record of 13:28 in eighth and Sweden's Jonas Glans was tenth in an outright national record of 13:32.
The inaugural European Running Championships take place in Brussels-Leuven on 12-13 April 2025.&nbsp;
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Gressier excels with a fifth-place finish at the World Running Championships in Riga

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SPAR has been the principal sponsor of European Athletics since 1996, becoming synonymous with the sport during this period. Athletics is a sport where personal endeavour is combined with team participation to achieve success, and SPAR identifies with this principle through its national partners by ensuring that consumers enjoy shopping at SPAR. SPAR retailers continue to develop the brand through sponsorship awareness and through the critical link with individual athletes who are also customers of independent retailers. SPAR is proud to be involved with European Athletics, an organisation which strives to bring passion and enthusiasm for their sport to viewers, spectators and participants.

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Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland began its partnership with European Athletics in 2008 as a top-tier sponsor of all Major Events and the European Athletics U23 and U20  Championships. Le Gruyère is a very high quality natural cheese that has been produced for many centuries in an artisanal method without any additives. VIP guests, athletes and fans have the opportunity to taste this magnificent cheese at European Athletics events sponsored by Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland.

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The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has been the Official Broadcast Partner of European Athletics since 1981. During this 40-year partnership, the outstanding collaboration between both organisations has always been focused on developing European Athletics into a more attractive product for television, spectators and athletes. Through its operational department Eurovision Services, the EBU is continuously working to promote athletics by offering the most comprehensive coverage of European Athletics events all over Europe.

Conica has been developing and manufacturing innovative seamless flooring solutions for sports, games and leisure for over 40 years and is one of the world's market leaders and innovation drivers in this field.  The user-oriented requirements for technical and sports functional performance as well as usability while guaranteeing the health aspects of the material itself, and for the user, are the focus of Conica's product development.  Conica is part of the Serafin group of companies based in Munich, Germany.

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Polanik is a family company, founded by Wiesław Szczepanik in 1966. It produces athletics equipment having over thousand products in the offer. Polanik fully equips stadiums all over the world and handles the highest-level athletics events. Stars of athletics beat world records using Polanik products. Polanik is held in high regard by many for top quality and advisory services for designers and investors of athletics stadiums.

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