The European Athletics Championships opened in Birmingham at Alexander Stadium on Monday, August 10, bringing over 1,600 athletes from 48 countries to the West Midlands for a week of competition running through Sunday, August 16. Organisers call the event a landmark moment for British athletics.
Alexander Stadium Hosts Landmark European Championships
The eyes of the track and field world are trained on the West Midlands this week as the European Athletics Championships 2026 brings a cast of global superstars to Alexander Stadium. Four years after the city hosted the Commonwealth Games, the UK is hosting the continental championships for the first time in its 92-year history. Organisers described the gathering as a landmark sporting moment for Birmingham, the West Midlands and British athletics.
The competition runs from Monday, August 10, through Sunday, August 16, coinciding with the peak summer vacation season. Star athletes headlining the entry lists include Keely Hodgkinson, Mondo Duplantis, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen. With three weeks to go ahead of the opening bell, stadium tickets were selling fast, with weekend sessions nearly sold out, according to organisers who revealed the elite road race routes.
Bulgarian Triple Jumpers Secure Early Spots in the Final
The opening day of the championships delivered immediate success for the Bulgarian team in the women’s triple jump. Gabriela Petrova and teammate Aleksandra Nacheva both navigated the qualifying rounds to earn their places among the top 12 finalists for the event scheduled on August 13.
Nacheva opened her qualification in Group A with a mark of 14.13 meters under a 1.6 m/s tailwind, securing eighth place overall. Although her next two attempts resulted in fouls as she chased a larger distance, her first-round mark proved entirely sufficient. Petrova produced a tactically sound performance in Group B, opening with 14.00 meters before improving to 14.11 meters on her second jump. Confident in her standing, Petrova opted to skip her third attempt to preserve energy for the medal round.
I feel great! This is the best turn of events we wanted. We look boldly toward Thursday. I have always said that the qualifications and the final are two different competitions. I am glad that I managed and saved myself an attempt. I decided that there was no point in the last attempt, I have entered. Hopefully there are even better results on Thursday, it will be a strong final, it won’t be easy. Gabriela Petrova, via Gong.bg
Nacheva shared a similar sentiment regarding her preliminary outing. Qualifications are meant to be overcome, she stated following the qualifying session. As long as we are in the final, it means it is successful. My first attempt was practically a joke. I didn’t expect it to turn out like this. I was sure I would qualify for the final and decided to experiment. Italian competitor Erika Saraceni led the qualification phase with a personal best of 14.50 meters, followed by compatriot Daria Derkatz at 14.42 meters and Belgium’s Ilona Masson at 14.35 meters.
Božidar Sarъbojukov Wins Bronze in Long Jump
In the men’s long jump final, 22-year-old Božidar Sarъbojukov secured Bulgaria’s first European athletics championship medal in eight years. Sarъbojukov claimed the bronze medal with a leap of 8.26 meters recorded on his sixth and final attempt against a 1.7 m/s headwind. He registered four additional jumps exceeding the 8-meter mark during the final (8.03, 8.05, 8.09, and 8.10 meters).
The competition took place under difficult conditions, with strong headwinds reaching up to roughly 3 m/s that troubled the field. Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou adapted best to the weather to capture his fourth European title with a best jump of 8.44 meters in the fourth round. Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer earned the silver medal with a mark of 8.29 meters.
The battle for bronze featured a late shift when Portugal’s Gerson Baldé temporarily pushed Sarъbojukov off the podium with an 8.18-meter jump in the final round. The Bulgarian jumper immediately responded with his best mark of the night to reclaim third place. The result adds to Sarъbojukov’s international resume, following his gold medal at the 2025 European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn and a bronze at the 2026 World Indoor Championships in Toruń. The last outdoor European championship medal for Bulgaria came from Mirela Demireva, who won silver in the high jump at Berlin in 2018.
Road Race Routes and City Centre Circuit Plans
Beyond the stadium events, the championships feature elite road races that are free for spectators to watch along designated city-centre routes. The elite race walks take place on August 15, following a 1-kilometer loop through the city centre starting on Colmore Row and finishing in Victoria Square. Spectators can watch along Waterloo Street, Temple Row West, and Colmore Row, with fully barriered routes and managed pedestrian crossing points.
The elite marathons follow on August 16, featuring local runner Ellis Cross. Both the men’s and women’s races start and finish at Victoria Square. The women’s marathon begins at 07:30 BST, followed by the men’s race at 08:10 BST. Athletes will complete eight laps of a 5-kilometer circuit, with recommended viewing locations set at Colmore Row and Church Street.
Broadcast Access and International Streaming Options
Fans across the UK can watch live coverage of the championships on the BBC across BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer, though viewers require an account and a valid TV license. Alternatively, every event is available live on TNT Sports 3 and streaming partner HBO Max, with plans starting at £25.99 per month for a minimum one-year term and rolling subscriptions offered at £30.99 per month.
International audiences in regions without a dedicated local broadcaster, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, can stream the events for free by creating an account on Eurovision Sport. Viewers travelling outside the UK who want to access domestic streaming services can use virtual private network providers such as NordVPN to connect to British servers.
Worth a look
