Donnelly grabs marathon bronze as GB takes team gold on final day in Birmingham
Abbie Donnelly won bronze in the women's marathon at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, with Great Britain taking the team gold on the final day of the championships BBC Sport.
Donnelly, better known as a cross-country and 10,000m runner — her World Athletics profile lists her as a European Cross Country Championships bronze medallist — delivered her biggest result on the road, on home asphalt, when it mattered most World Athletics. The marathon is run as both an individual and team event at the European Championships: the combined times of each nation's top finishers decide the team medals, and Britain's squad stood atop that standings.
Her world rankings — 113th in the 10,000m, 203rd in the marathon — would not have predicted a championship podium World Athletics. That is the appeal of a championship race. Times go out the window when the medal is decided by who can best handle the pace, the conditions, and the occasion.
Alisa Vainio arrived in Birmingham as the favourite. The Finn held the fastest time among all entrants — 2:20:39 — and was chasing what would have been a rare Finnish gold in the event European Athletics. The race was staged on the final day of the championships, giving the marathon a headline slot as the competition drew to a close BBC Sport.
Donnelly's bronze caps a championships that also delivered a record-breaking performance on the track. Sweden's Andreas Almgren won the men's 10,000m in 27:23.44, a championship record — the best time ever recorded at the European Championships — and the breaking of the longest-standing championship record on the books European Athletics.
For Donnelly, the medal follows a career built away from the marathon spotlight. She has represented Britain on the cross-country circuit and the track. A road podium in Birmingham, in front of a home crowd, is a new peak.
Great Britain's team gold in the women's marathon reflects the depth of the host nation's distance running. To win the team event, you need not one standout but three runners finishing well together — a collective effort across 26.2 miles.
The 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham concluded with the marathon medals decided on the roads. One individual bronze, one team gold, and a home crowd to witness both.
