Abbie Donnelly became the first British woman to win an individual marathon medal at the European Championships on Sunday, securing bronze in Birmingham.
Donnelly, from Lincolnshire, finished in two hours 27 minutes 33 seconds, behind Hungary’s Lili Anna Vindics-Toth. Finland’s Alisa Vainio took gold in 2:22:26, breaking the previous championship record by nearly three minutes.
Great Britain’s team secured gold ahead of Italy and Spain, with Natasha Wilson fifth and Rose Harvey 14th. It was the nation’s seventh gold of the championships, leaving them one behind leaders Italy heading into the final evening.
That performance surpassed anything a British woman had done before at a European Championships. Kath Binns had been the best, finishing ninth in 1982.
Donnelly, 29, was thrilled to claim her medal in front of a home crowd. “It means everything to do this here in Birmingham,” she said. “I’ve never done a home champs before so to have the crowd shout ‘Abbie Donnelly’ was an incredible experience.”
Vainio struck out alone early in the race, but Donnelly and Wilson stayed together in the chasing pack for much of the race. Donnelly said that partnership was “massive” for her.
The decisive break came from Vindics-Toth, and Donnelly followed, holding on through the uphill run to the line. She finished 12 seconds behind the Hungarian.
“I can’t believe it to be honest,” Donnelly said. “That was an amazing experience and a relief to get round the course, it was so hilly. I think it was a case of being really cautious at the start, especially the first half, knowing those hills would slowly catch up with you. Even the downhills as well, I think my quads have gone!”
Donnelly, formerly a cross country runner, has made a successful transition to the roads. She won two team golds at the European Cross Country Championships, and at her first European Championships in Rome in 2024, she took a team gold in the half-marathon.
She was also quick to credit her teammates. “It’s so exciting, we were talking about it yesterday about how we’d love to get a gold,” she said. “I’m so proud of the whole team. They all ran amazingly.”
“I love the people in this sport. I love the friends I’ve made. I love the feeling once you’ve finished the race,” she added. “The whole atmosphere of running, it’s such a friendly group. It’s such a privilege to be part of the team.”
