Israeli marathon team wins gold at European Athletics Championships

The Israeli men's marathon team secured the gold medal at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, finishing with a cumulative time of 6:28:37. This victory marks the third time in history that Israel has won the title and the second consecutive time they have taken the top spot. In the individual competition, Israeli runner Gashau Ayale claimed the bronze medal with a time of 2:09:21. Amanal Petros of Germany won gold with a championship record of 2:09:11, while Italy's Pietro Riva took silver in 2:09:18.

Other notable performances included Tadesse Getahon, who finished fifth in 2:09:31, and Aymeru Almaya, who placed eighth in 2:09:45. Their combined efforts placed Israel ahead of Germany and France in the team standings. In the women's marathon, Selamawit Bayoulign-Teferi finished 11th with a time of 2:28:26, followed by Maor Tiyouri in 12th place with 2:30:17.

Following his bronze medal win, Ayale stated: "I want to dedicate my medal to all the people of Israel. I am very happy that I managed to win another medal at the European Championships." Describing the race, Ayale noted that he had fallen behind the lead pack in the final 20 kilometers but pushed himself after realizing the competition was between the Israeli and German runners.

Marathon running has become a flagship sport for Israel over the past decade. The team previously won gold at the 2022 Munich championships. Other recent successes include Maru Teferi, who became the world runner-up in 2023, and Luna Chemtai Salpeter, who has secured medals at the World Championships and major international marathons in Tokyo, New York, and Boston.