The European Marathon Championships were held on July 11 and 12, 2026, in Ramales de la Victoria in the northern Spanish region of Cantabria. On Sunday, the elite runners tackled a 74-kilometer course with approximately 3,000 meters of elevation gain. Technical sections, high temperatures, and high humidity made the race even more challenging.  

In the women’s race, Anna Weinbeer broke away from her competitors early on. The Swiss rider controlled the race from the front and crossed the finish line in 4 hours, 32 minutes, and 17 seconds. Natalia Fischer of Spain won silver, finishing 4 minutes and 27 seconds behind. Paula Gorycka-Kurmann of Poland secured bronze, 5 minutes and 40 seconds behind the winner. Riders from Germany and Austria were not classified in the elite category.  

In the men’s race, the battle for the title remained open longer. David Valero launched the decisive attack on the final long climb and won in 3 hours, 44 minutes, and 6 seconds. The Spaniard relegated Italy’s Gioele De Cosmo to second place by 1 minute and 28 seconds. Bronze went to Poland’s Krzysztof Lukasik, who finished 2 minutes and 40 seconds behind.  

The German riders put in a strong performance. Jakob Hartmann finished fifth, 4 minutes and 10 seconds behind, missing the medals by one and a half minutes. Martin Frey finished ninth, and Andreas Seewald finished twelfth. Simon Stiebjahn followed in 20th place, and Georg Egger in 24th. Switzerland’s Martin Fanger finished in between, in 10th place. 

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