Running News Daily

Stefan Nillessen has been crowned European champion in the men’s 1500m after producing a sensational finishing burst to win a thrilling final at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The Dutchman timed his decisive move to perfection, unleashing a blistering final 100 metres in approximately 12.6 seconds to stop the clock at 3:35.70 and claim the European title in spectacular fashion.

The race appeared to be leaning towards the home favourites as Jake Heyward and Jake Wightman led the field into the final 200 metres. But as the pace intensified and the medals came into view, Nillessen produced a devastating change of speed that carried him past the leading contenders and into gold-medal position.

Nillessen’s finishing kick proved too strong for the chasing pack. He powered down the home straight and opened enough of a gap to secure his first European 1500m title, turning what had been a closely packed tactical contest into a memorable individual triumph.

Behind him, Samuel Pihlström of Sweden produced a strong final sprint of his own to take the silver medal in 3:36.16, while Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran held on for bronze in 3:36.24. Just 0.08 seconds separated the two athletes, highlighting the extraordinary closeness of the battle for the remaining podium places.

Heyward, who had helped shape the race at the front in the closing stages, ultimately finished fourth in 3:36.40, with fellow Briton Arlo Ludewick fifth in 3:36.65. Wightman, another of the athletes at the sharp end with 200 metres remaining, crossed the line sixth in 3:37.18.

Norway’s Narve Gilje Nordås finished seventh in 3:37.31, followed by France’s Romain Mornet in 3:37.37 and Germany’s Robert Farken in 3:37.49. France’s Azeddine Habz was 10th in 3:37.61, while Italy’s Pietro Arese finished 11th in 3:38.15.

The biggest disappointment of the final was reigning world champion Isaac Nader of Portugal. One of the leading names in the field before the race, Nader struggled to respond to the repeated tactical changes and eventually finished 12th in 3:39.69.

For Nillessen, however, Birmingham delivered a defining championship moment. With the race still wide open entering the final 200 metres, he remained composed before unleashing the fastest closing burst of the field. His 12.6-second final 100m was the difference between a podium finish and European gold.

Men’s 1500m Final — Results

1. Stefan Nillessen (NED) — 3:35.70

2. Samuel Pihlström (SWE) — 3:36.16

3. Andrew Coscoran (IRL) — 3:36.24

4. Jake Heyward (GBR) — 3:36.40

5. Arlo Ludewick (GBR) — 3:36.65

6. Jake Wightman (GBR) — 3:37.18

7. Narve Gilje Nordås (NOR) — 3:37.31

8. Romain Mornet (FRA) — 3:37.37

9. Robert Farken (GER) — 3:37.49

10. Azeddine Habz (FRA) — 3:37.61

11. Pietro Arese (ITA) — 3:38.15

12. Isaac Nader (POR) — 3:39.69

The final showcased everything that makes championship 1500m racing so compelling: tactical positioning, changing momentum, a dramatic final lap and a decisive sprint for the medals. In the end, it was Nillessen’s extraordinary finishing speed that settled the contest and placed the Netherlands at the top of the European 1500m podium.

The 50th edition of the Prefontaine Classic, set for July 5 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, promises to be one of the most exciting track meets of the year. Headlining the event is three-time Olympic gold medalist Faith Kipyegon, who returns to the Pre Classic in search of her seventh career victory in the women’s 1500m.

Kipyegon, the world record holder in both the 1500m (3:49.04) and the mile (4:07.64), shattered the 1500m mark in Paris on July 7, 2024. Now, nearly a year later, she’ll look to reassert her dominance in front of a packed crowd at one of the sport’s most prestigious meets.

Joining Kipyegon in the 1500m are her fellow 2024 Olympic medalists—silver medalist Jessica Hull of Australia and bronze medalist Georgia Bell of Great Britain. Hull, a former University of Oregon standout, also holds the current world record in the 2000m.

But Kipyegon isn’t the only big name set to thrill fans in Eugene. The men’s Bowerman Mile will feature a stacked lineup that includes:

• Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Norway) – Olympic gold medalist and multiple-time Bowerman Mile champion

• Cole Hocker (USA) – 2024 Olympic 1500m champion

• Yared Nuguse (USA) – Olympic bronze medalist and former indoor mile world record holder

• Timothy Cheruiyot (Li Kenya) – Former world champion

• Jake Wightman (Great Britain) – 2022 world champion

• Grant Fisher (USA) – Olympic bronze medalist in both the 5000m and 10,000m

• Plus rising stars including Oliver Hoare, Neil Gourley, Azeddine Habz, Hobbs Kessler, Niels Laros, Cameron Myers, Stefan Nillessen, and Reynold Cheruiyot

In the men’s 400m hurdles, Olympic silver medalist Rai Benjamin will headline a competitive field that also includes CJ Allen, Trevor Bassitt, Clement Ducos, Malik James-King, Abderrahman Samba, and Assinie Wilson.

The 2025 Prefontaine Classic will feature 14 Diamond League disciplines, including the women’s 800m, 5000m, and 3000m steeplechase—each with world-class fields expected to be announced soon.

As the sport celebrates this milestone edition of the Pre Classic, the meet is shaping up to be not just a tune-up for global championships, but a showcase of track and field at its absolute best.

The 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships, set to take place from March 21-23 in Nanjing, China, marks the long-awaited return of the competition after a five-year hiatus. Originally scheduled for 2020, the event was postponed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making this edition one of the most highly anticipated in recent history. With over 500 athletes from approximately 120 nations, the championships will feature world-class competition across 26 events, including the debut of the 4x400m mixed relay as an official indoor discipline.

The Venue: A World-Class Stage in Nanjing

The championships will be held at Nanjing’s Cube, a cutting-edge indoor arena within the Nanjing Youth Olympic Sports Park. Completed in 2019, the venue boasts state-of-the-art facilities designed to accommodate both athletes and spectators, providing an optimal environment for record-breaking performances.

Exciting Events and New Additions

The championship program features sprints, middle-distance races, hurdles, jumps, throws, and combined events, offering fans three days of intense competition. The 4x400m mixed relay will be contested for the first time at the indoor championships, following its successful debut in outdoor competition. The race order—man, woman, man, woman—adds a strategic element, and the world record standard has been set at 3:12.44.

Qualification and the World Indoor Tour

This year’s World Athletics Indoor Tour, now in its tenth season, plays a crucial role in the road to Nanjing. Featuring over 60 competitions across Europe, North America, and Asia, the tour provides top athletes with an opportunity to secure qualification for the championships. Nine Gold-level meetings were part of the 2025 circuit, beginning in Astana, Kazakhstan, on January 25 and concluding in Madrid, Spain, on February 28.

Athletes who finished as the top point scorers in their disciplines earned a $10,000 bonus and automatic entry into the championships. This season’s scoring disciplines included:

• Women: 60m, 800m, 3000m/5000m, pole vault, triple jump, shot put

• Men: 400m, 1500m/mile, 60m hurdles, high jump, long jump

Star Athletes to Watch

Several elite athletes have confirmed their participation, ensuring a thrilling showdown in Nanjing. Some of the biggest names expected to compete include:

Sprints and Hurdles

Grant Holloway of the United States, the reigning world champion and world record holder in the 60m hurdles, is aiming for his third consecutive world indoor title. He recently extended his 82-race unbeaten streak in the event, making him a strong favorite.

Robin Ganter of Germany, fresh off his 60m national title with a personal best of 6.56 seconds, is a rising contender in the short sprints.

Middle-Distance & Distance Races

Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia, the defending world indoor 800m champion, has been dominant in recent races, including a victory at the Copernicus Cup in Poland.

Stefan Nillessen of the Netherlands broke the national indoor 3000m record with a time of 7:37.10 and clocked a personal best of 3:52.70 in the mile, making him one to watch in the middle-distance events.

What to Expect

With record chases, title defenses, and rising stars looking to make their mark, the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships promises electrifying competition. Fans can expect intense battles on the track, thrilling jumps and throws, and potential record-breaking performances as the world’s best athletes gather in Nanjing for three days of world-class indoor athletics.

Stay tuned to My Best Runs for updates, race previews, and athlete insights as the countdown to Nanjing continues!

Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich broke the women-only world 10km record* at the Trunsylvania 10km, clocking 29:24 at the World Athletics Elite Label road race held on Sunday (10) as part of the Brasov Running Festival in Romania.

In an impressive solo running display, the 22-year-old showed her intent from the start and covered the first 5km in 14:25 – four seconds faster than the women-only world record for that distance.

She had a lead of 10 seconds over her compatriot Catherine Reline at that point.

Racing on the loop course, Ngetich went on to pass 6.5km in 18:54 and 8.5km in 24:56 before crossing the finish line in 29:24 to record the fastest ever 10km in a women-only race, improving on the 30:01 set by the late Agnes Tirop in Herzogenaurach in 2021.

As well as being the fastest women-only 10km, Ngetich’s time is the third-quickest by a woman in history, behind only the 29:14 run by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw in a mixed race in Castellon last year and the 29:19 Yehualaw clocked in Valencia earlier this year.

“The world record is a surprise to me,” said Ngetich, who started the 2022 race in Brasov as the pacemaker but went on to finish second in 30:30. “I didn’t expect to get the world record. I just wanted a PB, low 30 minutes to break the course record, but a world record is really a surprise.”

The race started at a fast pace right from the gun with Ngetich, Reline and Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek leaving the pacemaker – who had been asked to lead the runners through 5km in 15:00 – quickly behind.

The trio sped through 1500m in 4:12 and Cheptoyek started to lose contact with the Kenyan pair a kilometre later. Ngetich and Reline went through 3km in 8:32 but it was only a few hundred metres down the road in the Coresi district on the outskirts of the Transylvanian city that the latter started to drift back. From then on, Ngetich was out on her own.

Ngetich, who claimed bronze at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February and then finished sixth in the 10,000m final at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 last month, set a women-only world 5km record with her split of 14:25, improving on the 14:29 achieved by Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi in Herzogenaurach on the same day that Tirop set her 10km mark.

By 7km, Ngetich had built up an 18-second lead over Reline and the gap just kept on widening.

As Ngetich passed the 8.5km checkpoint in 24:56, Reline was second in 25:29, and the leader continued to fly over the final section of the three-lap course before gaining her second world record of the morning.

“I started the year with the World Cross, which was perfect, so I wanted to close the season with a good result,” explained Ngetich, who achieved that aim in sensational style.

Reline held on to finish second in 30:14, while Cheptoyek placed third in 30:34.

The men's race was won by Weldon Langat, who completed a Kenyan double in 27:05.

A group of seven athletes went through 5km in 13:30, with another four just two seconds further back at the halfway point.

Surges in the sixth kilometre by Kenya’s Amos Kurgat and Dennis Kibet saw the pair pull away, with Langat being towed along comfortably in their wake.

Kibet continued to regularly push the pace over the course of the next three kilometres but with just over one kilometre to go, he started to pay for his service at the front.

As Kurgat and Langat embarked on the final kilometre, the latter used that as a signal to change gears and made a decisive move that took him to victory just over two-and-a-half minutes later.

Kurgat took second place in 27:12, while the 2018 world U20 5000m champion Edward Zakayo Pingua came through strongly over the final kilometre, firstly overtaking the tiring Kibet and then almost catching Kurgat to complete an all-Kenyan podium in third place with 27:14.

Mile wins for Van Riel and Mechaal

The Trunsylvania 10km took place on the second day of the Brasov Running Festival, with Saturday (9) offering elite mile races.

Robin van Riel of the Netherlands and Turkiye’s Emine Hatun Mechaal claimed victories in the European Road Mile, winning in national records of 4:05.5 and 4:41.7, respectively.

Mechaal was the first across the line as dusk started to fall over the Coresi district, after a well calculated run that saw the 2014 European U20 cross country champion pull away from her nearest rivals over the final 100 metres.

Romania’s Cristina Balan finished second in 4:43.0, while Greek 1500m champion Melissa Anastasakis was third in 4:44.0, both women also setting national records.

In the men’s race, runners in the leading pack were reluctant to go with pacemaker Stephen Masindet and they passed 1km in an unofficial 2:40.0, which made the anticipated sub-four-minute time and a world record highly unlikely.

In the end, Van Riel was able to outsprint his younger compatriot Stefan Nillessen in a thrilling duel as the finish line approached.

Van Riel clocked 4:05.5 to Nillessen’s 4:05.8, with Italy’s Giovanni Filippi third in 4:07.2.

Further elite mile action will be on offer in Riga next month as the World Athletics Road Running Championships hosts mile, 5km and half marathon races.