Donnelly wins GB's first women's marathon medal at Europeans

Abbie Donnelly secured Britain's first women's marathon medal at the European Championships on Sunday, winning bronze in Birmingham. Teammate Natasha Wilson placed fifth, while Rose Harvey finished 14th. This marks the highest finish for a British woman at this event, previously achieved by Kath Binns in 1982. Donnelly finished the race in 2:27:33, behind Hungary's Lili Anna Vindics-Toth, who took gold in 2:22:26, breaking the championship record by nearly three minutes.

The British women's team marathon victory gave the nation its seventh overall gold at the championships, placing them one behind leaders Italy. Donnelly expressed her pride in the team's performance, stating that it was an incredible experience to run the race in her home city of Birmingham. The support from the crowd was particularly meaningful to her.

Vindics-Toth made the decisive break early in the race, followed by Donnelly and Wilson. The latter two relied on each other throughout the competition, which Donnelly described as a massive help. Donnelly also highlighted the challenging hills throughout the course, which she believed played a significant role in her race. She emphasized the importance of caution, especially in the early stages, knowing that the hills would eventually catch up to the runners.

Donnelly previously won two team golds at the European Cross Country Championships before transitioning to marathon running. This achievement at the European Championships makes her the first British woman to win an individual marathon medal in European competition history.