Abbie Donnelly wins historic bronze in European marathon

Abbie Donnelly overcame a last-minute shoe crisis to win a historic bronze medal in the women's marathon at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Sunday, August 16, 2026. The 29-year-old British runner became the first woman from her country to secure an individual medal in the event, finishing in a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 33 seconds. Her performance also helped Great Britain claim team gold.

Donnelly revealed the pre-race drama after the race, explaining that she realized the night before that she had accidentally packed two different-sized shoes. Her parents and boyfriend, Shane, scrambled to deliver the correct replacement to the start line. "I'm definitely the liability," Donnelly told British Athletics TV. "I actually brought two different sized shoes by accident to this race." The correct shoe arrived just 30 minutes before the start, with her boyfriend attaching the timing chip as she was "so flustered."

Once the race began on the hilly, eight-lap course through Birmingham city centre, Donnelly found her rhythm. She ran much of the race within the chasing pack, aided by the presence of her teammate Natasha Wilson. "It was a really tough race, both...