The European Athletics Championships is a biennial event (since 2010), which began in 1934. European Athletics accepts only athletes who are representing one of the organisation's European member states and the body recognises records set at editions of the European Athletics Championships. The Championships records in athletics are the best marks set in competitions at the event. The athletics events at the Championships are divided into four groups: track events (including sprints, middle- and long-distance running, hurdling and relays), field events (including javelin, discus, hammer, pole vault, long and triple jumps), road events and combined events (the heptathlon and decathlon).
Great Britain's athletes holds the greatest number of records at the Championships with a total of ten, followed by Russia (9), Germany (7), and Spain (4). Marita Koch and Heike Drechsler each hold multiple records, Koch having broken both the 400 metres record as an individual and as part of the East German relay team and Drechsler holding the records for both long jump and 200 m. World records have been set at the Championships: the French 4×100 metres relay team ran a world record 37.79 seconds at the 1990 Championships. Several athletics events no longer take place at the Championships and thus the events are deemed defunct, and their records unchallengeable.
No records were broken at the 2012 European Athletics Championships – the first time in the history of the event. The current edition will take place between 10 and 16 August 2026 in Birmingham.
Men's records
Statistics are correct as of 19 August 2026 EventRecordAthleteNationDateVenue100 m9.95Zharnel Hughes7 August 20182018 Berlin()9.95Marcell Jacobs16 August 20222022 Munich()200 m19.76Ramil Guliyev9 August 20182018 Berlin()400 m44.15Alexander Doom10 June 2024()800 m1:43.49Mark English12 August 2026()1500 m3:31.95Jakob Ingebrigtsen12 June 2024()5000 m13:10.15Jack Buckner31 August 1986()10,000 m27:23.44Andreas Almgren15 August 2026()Half marathon1:01:03Yemaneberhan Crippa9 June 20242024 Rome()Marathon2:09:11Amanal Petros16 August 20262026 Birmingham()110 m hurdles13.02Colin Jackson22 August 1998()400 m hurdles46.63Karsten Warholm14 August 2026()3000 m steeplechase8:07.87Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad1 August 2010()High jump2.37 mGianmarco Tamberi11 June 2024()Pole vault6.15 mArmand Duplantis16 August 2026()Long jump8.65 mMiltiadis Tentoglou8 June 2024()Triple jump18.18 m Jordan Díaz11 June 2024()Shot put22.45 mLeonardo Fabbri8 June 2024()Discus throw72.51 mKristjan Čeh13 August 2026()Hammer throw86.74 mYuriy Sedykh30 August 1986()Javelin throw90.40 mJulian Weber15 August 2026()Decathlon8811 ptsDaley Thompson27-28 August 1986()20 km walk (road)1:18:37Francisco Fernández6 August 2002()Half marathon walk (road)1:23:23Paul McGrath15 August 20262026 Birmingham()35 km walk (road)2:26:49Miguel Ángel López16 August 2022()Marathon walk (road)2:56:49Massimo Stano15 August 20262026 Birmingham()50 km walk (road)3:32:33Yohann Diniz15 August 20142014 Zürich()4 × 100 m relay37.67Jeremiah AzuZharnel HughesJona EfolokoNethaneel Mitchell-Blake21 August 2022()4 × 400 m relay2:58.10Edoardo ScottiLuca SitoMohamed SoudassiLorenzo Benati14 August 2026()
Decathlon disciplines EventRecordAthleteNationDateChampionshipsPlace100 m10.26 Daley Thompson27 August 19861986 ChampionshipsStuttgart, GermanyLong jump8.31 m Simon Ehammer15 August 20222022 ChampionshipsMunich, GermanyShot put17.13 mLeo Neugebauer12 August 20262026 ChampionshipsBirmingham, United KingdomHigh jump2.22 mChristian Schenk28 August 19901990 ChampionshipsSplit, YugoslaviaAndrei Krauchanka12 August 20142014 ChampionshipsZürich, Switzerland400 m46.49Jón Arnar Magnússon18 August 19981998 ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary110 m hurdles13.55 Arthur Abele13 August 20142014 ChampionshipsZürich, SwitzerlandDiscus throw54.31 mLeo Neugebauer13 August 20262026 ChampionshipsBirmingham, United KingdomPole vault5.45 mEelco Sintnicolaas29 July 20102010 ChampionshipsBarcelona, SpainJavelin throw76.05 mNiklas Kaul16 August 20222022 ChampionshipsMunich, Germany1500 m4:09.7 Leonid Litvinenko7 September 19741974 ChampionshipsRome, Italy
Women's records
Statistics are correct as of 19 August 2026 EventRecordNameNationDateVenue100 m10.73Christine Arron19 August 1998()200 m21.71Heike Drechsler29 August 1986()400 m48.16 Marita Koch8 September 1982()800 m1:54.81Audrey Werro14 August 2026()1500 m3:56.91Tatyana Tomashova13 August 2006()5000 m14:35.29Nadia Battocletti7 June 20242024 Rome()10,000 m30:01.09Paula Radcliffe6 August 2002()Half marathon1:08:09Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal9 June 20242024 Rome()Marathon2:22:26Alisa Vainio16 August 20262026 Birmingham()100 m hurdles12.31 Cyréna Samba-Mayela8 June 2024()400 m hurdles52.49Femke Bol11 June 2024()3000 m steeplechase9:11.31Luiza Gega20 August 2022()High jump2.03 mTia Hellebaut11 August 20062006 Gothenburg()Venelina Veneva-MateevaBlanka Vlašić1 August 20102010 Barcelona()Pole vault4.85 mEkaterini Stefanidi9 August 20182018 Berlin()Wilma Murto17 August 20222022 Munich()Long jump7.30 mHeike Drechsler28 August 19901990 Split()Triple jump15.15 mTatyana Lebedeva9 August 20062006 Gothenburg()Shot put21.69 mVita Pavlysh20 August 19981998 Budapest()Discus throw71.36 mDiana Sachse28 August 1986()Hammer throw78.94 mAnita Włodarczyk12 August 20182018 Berlin()Javelin throw67.90 mChristin Hussong10 August 20182018 Berlin()Heptathlon6848 ptsNafissatou Thiam8–9 June 2024()20 km walk (road)1:26:36María Pérez11 August 20182018 Berlin()Half marathon walk (road)1:30:06María Pérez15 August 20262026 Birmingham()35 km walk (road)2:47:00Antigoni Ntrismpioti16 August 2022()Marathon walk (road)3:15:11Sofia Fiorini15 August 20262026 Birmingham()50 km walk (road)4:09:21Inês Henriques7 August 20182018 Berlin()4 × 100 m relay41.68Silke MöllerKatrin KrabbeKerstin BehrendtSabine Günther1 September 1990()4 × 400 m relay3:16.87Kirsten EmmelmannSabine BuschPetra MüllerMarita Koch31 August 1986()
Heptathlon disciplines EventRecordAthleteNationDateChampionshipsPlace100 m hurdles12.89Sabine Möbius6 September 19821982 ChampionshipsAthens, GreeceHigh jump1.98 mNafissatou Thiam17 August 20222022 ChampionshipsMunich, GermanyShot put17.95 mBeatrix Philipp2 September 19781978 ChampionshipsPrague, Czechoslovakia200 m22.88 Katarina Johnson-Thompson9 August 20182018 ChampionshipsBerlin, GermanyLong jump6.84 m Annik Kälin8 June 20242024 ChampionshipsRome, Italy Javelin throw57.91 mNafissatou Thiam10 August 20182018 ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany800 m2:02.75Irina Belova31 August 19901990 ChampionshipsSplit, Croatia
Mixed EventRecordAthleteNationDateVenue4 × 100 m relay39.97Jeremiah AzuDina Asher-SmithZharnel HughesAmy Hunt16 August 2026()4 × 400 m relay3:09.62Karsten WarholmAmalie IuelAndreas Ofstad KulsengHenriette Jæger10 August 2026()
Records in defunct events Men's events EventRecordNameNationDateVenue10,000 m walk (track)45:01.8Josef Doležal23 August 19541954 Berne()Javelin throw (Old design)91.52 mJānis Lūsis19 September 19691969 Athens()
Women's events EventRecordNameNationDateVenue3000 m8:30.289 September 19821982 Athens()10 km walk (road)42:379 August 19941994 Helsinki()80 m hurdles10.6Teresa Ciepły16 September 19621962 Belgrade()Javelin throw (Old design)77.44 mFatima Whitbread28 August 19861986 Stuttgart()Pentathlon5299 ptsHeide Rosendahl13–14 August 19711971 Helsinki()
Statistics Totals
+ Championship records by yearEditionNo. set1938201946121950191954271958311962281966231969241971261974261978291982271986?1990?1994?1998?2002?2006102010820120201432016120181020228202415
+ Record holders by countryNationMaleFemaleTotal9211167224123213123123112022202022202112022011011101101101011011011
World records YearAthleteCountryGenderEventMark1934Matti JärvinenMenJavelin throw76.66 m1938Claudia TestoniWomen80 m hurdles11.6 sec1954Vladimir KutsMen5000 metres13:56.6 min1954Sándor RozsnyóiMen3000 m steeplechase8:49.6 min1954Mikhail KrivonosovMenHammer throw63.34 m1958Sergei PopovMenMarathon2:15:17 hrs1962Salvatore MoraleMen400 m hurdles49.2 sec1962Maria ItkinaWomen400 metres53.4 sec1962Tamara PressWomenShot put18.55 m1969Nicole DuclosWomen400 metres51.7 sec (51.72)1969Colette BessonWomen400 metres51.7 sec (51.74)1969Jaroslava JehličkováWomen1500 metres4:10.77 min1969Rosemary StirlingPat LoweJanet SimpsonLillian BoardWomen4×400 metres relay3:30.8 min (3:30.82)1969Bernadette MartinNicole DuclosEliane JacqColette BessonWomen4×400 metres relay3:30.8 min (3:30.85)1969Nadezhda ChizhovaWomenShot put20.10 m1969Nadezhda ChizhovaWomenShot put20.43 m1971Karin BurneleitWomen1500 metres4:09.62 min1971Rita KühneIngelore LohseHelga SeidlerMonika ZehrtWomen4×400 metres relay3:29.3 min1971Faina MelnikMenDiscus throw64.22 m1974Riitta SalinWomen400 metres50.14 sec1974Doris MaletzkiRenate StecherChristina HeinichBärbel EckertWomen4×100 metres relay42.51 sec1974Rosemarie WitschasWomenHigh jump1.95 m1974Ruth FuchsWomenJavelin throw67.22 m1978Roland WieserMen20 kilometres walk1:23:11.5 hrs1978Marita KochWomen400 metres48.94 sec1978Tatyana ZelentsovaWomen400 m hurdles54.89 sec1978Sara SimeoniWomenHigh jump2.01 m1982Daley ThompsonMenDecathlon8743 pts1982Marita KochWomen400 metres48.16 sec1982Kirsten SiemonSabine BuschDagmar RübsamMarita KochWomen4×400 metres relay3:19.04 min1982Ulrike MeyfarthWomenHigh jump2.02 m1986Yuriy SedykhMenHammer throw86.74 m1986Heike Daute-DrechslerWomen200 metres21.71 sec1986Marina Makeyeva-StepanovaWomen400 m hurdles53.32 sec1986Fatima WhitbreadWomenJavelin throw77.44 m1990Max MorinièreDaniel SangoumaJean-Charles TrouabalBruno Marie-RoseMen4×100 metres relay37.79 sec2002Robert KorzeniowskiMen50 kilometres walk3:36:39 hrs
Notes
References General European Athletics Championships Best Performances European Championships Best Performances Men. European Athletics (archived). Retrieved on 2009-07-13. European Championships Best Performances Women. European Athletics (archived). Retrieved on 2009-07-13. European Championships (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2014-01-04. European Championships (Women). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2014-01-04.
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