Birmingham to host European Athletics Championships: Schedule and BBC coverage

The inaugural European Athletics Championships to be hosted in the UK begins on Monday, 10 August, in Birmingham. Running until 16 August at Alexander Stadium, the event will see athletes from 49 nations compete for 50 gold medals, including the debut of the mixed 4x100m relay. Great Britain is fielding a 96-athlete squad, featuring defending champions Keely Hodgkinson and Dina Asher-Smith, alongside Matthew Hudson-Smith, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Amy Hunt, Georgia Hunter-Bell, and Jake Wightman. International stars include Sweden's Armand Duplantis, Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou, all chasing a fourth consecutive European title. Hodgkinson, Italy's Marcell Jacobs, and Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh are also seeking their third successive gold. Italy topped the 2024 Rome medal table with 11 golds, followed by France. Britain finished third in Rome, with golds from Asher-Smith (100m), Hodgkinson (800m), the women's half-marathon team, and the women's 4x100m relay. Having previously topped the table in 1950, 1998, 2014, 2018, and 2022, Britain hopes home advantage will propel them back to the top. Asher-Smith holds six European golds and two silvers; one more gold would see her surpass Sandra Elkasevic’s record of seven, potentially making her the most decorated athlete in the event's history. She could also overtake Irena Szewinska’s record of 10 medals. Hudson-Smith, with four golds and seven medals total, is one medal away from equalling Christophe Lemaitre’s record for the most decorated male athlete. A highlight for British fans is the women's 800m, featuring Hodgkinson against Audrey Werro and Femke Bol. Hodgkinson, 24, enters as the London Diamond League winner, though 22-year-old Swiss runner Werro has beaten her this season. The 800m final is scheduled for 21:45 on Friday, 14 August. Other key events include Ingebrigtsen’s return in the 5000m final on Monday, Hudson-Smith’s bid for a third 400m title on Wednesday, and Duplantis in the pole vault qualifiers on Friday. Saturday, 15 August, will see 13 gold medals decided, including road events through Birmingham, while Sunday, 16 August, features 10 finals, including the 4x400m relays and the women's 1500m. The BBC will provide comprehensive coverage across BBC One, BBC Two, iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app, and Radio 5 Live. Gabby Logan and Jeanette Kwakye will present, with commentary and analysis from Steve Cram, Andrew Cotter, Steve Backley, Colin Jackson, Paula Radcliffe, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Greg Rutherford, and Jenny Meadows. All times are in British Summer Time and subject to change.