Spain has announced their half marathon team for the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships from 7-12 June.
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Their team of 12 athletes - six male and six female athletes - features Spanish record-holder Carlos Mayo who lowered the national record to 59:39 in the Valencia Half Marathon last October, a time which ranks fifth on the European all-time list.
Surprisingly, this will be Mayo’s first appearance at a European Athletics Championships since 2016 and he looks likely to renew his rivalry with home Italian favourite Yemaneberhan Crippa who has confirmed he plans to tackle the half marathon in Roma 2024.
The women’s half marathon team is also helmed by Spanish record-holder Laura Luengo who clocked 69:41, also in Valencia, last year.
In addition, the Spanish team includes three medallists from the Munich 2022 European Athletics Championships: Laura Mendez, who won silver as part of the team race in the marathon, and Jorge Blanco and Yago Rojo, both of whom were part of Spain’s bronze medal-winning team in the marathon two years ago.
Both half marathons take place on Sunday 9 June on a largely flat course which begins in the Fori Imperiali and concludes in the Stadio Olimpico, the first time the road events have finished inside the main stadium at a European Athletics Championships since Gothenburg 2006.
The fast and flat course will also give the half marathon winners a chance to take one of the ten €50,000 performance bonuses that will be on offer at the European Athletics Championships for the first time.
The full Spanish half marathon team can be found here.