On the eve of the 28th edition of the European 10,000m Cup, athletes across the continent are entering their final preparations. Held in La Spezia on Saturday 23 May, it will be the fourth time Italy has hosted the event, which promises opportunities for continental glory and fast times.
What is the European 10,000m Cup?
The first edition of the Cup was held in 1997 in Barakaldo, Spain — and it was known as the European 10,000m Challenge until 2005 — to support the development of European distance running.
It is now firmly established as one of the continent’s most prestigious distance-running events.
Unlike other individual track races, the European 10,000m Cup also places a strong emphasis on team performance. While athletes compete for individual titles in both the men’s and women’s races, the pursuit of the national team title adds another layer to the competition.
Countries enter multiple athletes into each 25-lap race, with team scores calculated by adding together the total times of each nation’s top three athletes. The team with the lowest combined time wins the competition.
Last year’s race in Pacé, France, saw history made as Ireland’s Efrem Gidey and Belgium’s Jana Van Lent won the men’s and women’s titles respectively, becoming the first athletes from their nations to win the event.
Van Lent had the additional satisfaction of helping Belgium secure the women’s team title with a combined time of 1:36:02.12, while France won the men’s team title in 1:24:51.35.
Where is it taking place?
There is a strong resurgence in Italian distance running, led by world and Olympic silver medallist and multiple European champion Nadia Battocletti, European half-marathon and 10,000m gold medallist Yemaneberhan Crippa, and Iliass Aouani, who broke through by winning world bronze and European gold in the marathon.
All three were in the entries for the 2026 European 10,000m Cup.
Unfortunately, Battocletti and Crippa both withdrew from the event on Wednesday (20) due to illness and injury, leaving Aouani as the main home hope at the Montagna Sports Center in the Italian port city of La Spezia, the host venue.
There are strong Italian hopes both in the individual and in the team competitions on the blue-surfaced track, so it has all the makings of another night of celebration for the Azzurri.
Throughout the field, athletes will also be seeking fast times to secure their places at the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships on 10–16 August. The key targets are the Birmingham 2026 qualifying standards of:
- Men – 27:50:00
- Women – 32:00:00
To see the article, in its entirety, on European-Athletics.com, please go to: https://www.european-athletics.com/home/news/the-beginners-guide-to-la-spezia-2026-european-10-000m-cup
