Press Release MEA2026

European Marathon 2026 breaks all records with 21,686 registered in Aveiro

Aveiro, April 23, 2026 – The sixth edition of the European Marathon, to be held on April 25 and 26 in Aveiro, has just smashed all participation records. With registration officially closed, the organization confirms the presence of 21,686 athletesThe event is one of the biggest and most prestigious road athletics events in Portugal and a reference in the World Athletics calendar.

The scale of this edition is reflected in the impressive distribution of participants over the various distances of 42, 21, 10 and 5 km, as well as the Channel Challenge (10+41, 10+21 or 10+5km).

World and national elite fighting for records

The European Marathon will once again present a high level of competition, bringing together internationally proven athletes and leading names in Portuguese athletics. More than just a list of entrants, the elite squad confirms that Aveiro will once again be the stage for races with competitive depth, technical quality and several credible protagonists in the main distances on the program.

In the men’s marathon, the international field is strong. Kenya’s Aspel Kiptoo Kiprop arrives in Aveiro having made a name for himself in the 2025 Porto Marathon, while Ethiopia’s Semachew Birhanu Welde already has very competitive records in the marathon and half marathon, confirming himself as a name in clear affirmation. In addition, Sweden’s Emil Millan de la Oliva, one of the most interesting European talents of the new generation in cross-country running, as well as Kenya’s Alfred Kipkemoi Cheruyot and Novestus Kipkosgei Kirwa, clearly reinforce the competitive level of the queen distance.

In the women’s marathon, the foreign elite also has some outstanding athletes. Moroccan Hanane Bouaggad comes in with consistent marks in the long and middle distances, while Kenyan Aurelia Kiptui brings with her international experience and a competitive CV to fight for the top spots. The international women’s field therefore looks set to be a demanding, selective race of great sporting interest.

On the Portuguese side, the marathon will also feature names capable of adding quality and competitive legitimacy to the race. Joana Vanessa Carvalho has a solid track record over long distances and has established herself as one of the main national references, while Fábio Oliveira arrives with the credentials of top-level results at the national level. Rui Teixeira, one of the most experienced and renowned names in Portuguese athletics, adds competitive strength, history and notoriety to an edition that once again brings together arguments for a high-level race.

In the half marathon, the Portuguese bloc shows depth and consistency. Mónica Silva, Rafaela Fonseca, Carla Martinho, Sara Duarte, Joana Ferreira and Nuno Fernandes make up a group with enough quality to guarantee a competitive, balanced and technically strong race. This is a group of athletes with an established track record on the national scene, capable of raising the competitive level of a distance that traditionally concentrates some of the program’s most intense moments.

In the 10-kilometer race, the presence of Susana Godinho gives the race an immediate media and sporting dimension. An Olympian and one of the greatest figures in Portuguese cross-country running today, the athlete immediately raises the competitive bar for the distance. Alongside her, Luís Oliveira and Beatriz Rios reinforce the quality of the peloton and guarantee added interest to a race that is expected to be very well attended and with a strong competitive density.

As a whole, this year’s edition confirms the European Marathon’s ability to bring together, on the same stage, top names from the international and Portuguese elite, consistently spread across the various distances. The result is a stronger, more credible and more attractive sports program, in keeping with the event’s growing presence on the national and international calendar.

The Marathon of a Thousand Emotions: Inclusion and Innovation

In addition to the competitive aspect, the 2026 European Marathon is reinforcing its solidarity and inclusive DNA. In a pioneering initiative worldwide, all the medals handed out at the finish line were designed with the collaboration of children with cerebral palsy.

The event will also be marked by the return of ultramarathon runner and race godfather João Neto, who for the third year running will push a wheelchair along the 42 kilometers, culminating with the gift of six wheelchairs to children with special needs, as part of the “Rodas Solidárias” project, making a total of 24 chairs delivered over the last three editions.

But the European Marathon goes even further when it comes to overcoming, with the presence of Júlio Mamute, a young Brazilian weighing more than 300 kg who became an icon of overcoming, losing a hundred kilos and finishing the 15km of the last São Silvestre in São Paulo, and is now followed by more than three million people.

The race will also be attended by Tadeu Natálio, Director of the Curitiba Marathon and the Iguazu Falls Half Marathon in Brazil, and Mateo Navajas, Director of the Seville Half Marathon, one of the most important half marathons in the world.

“Since the first edition, we have been committed to turning every step into a collective force that unites the community and celebrates the power of sport. Having almost 22,000 people running through the streets of Aveiro and Ílhavo, with athletes from 82 countries, proves that the European Marathon is now a world-class event where no one is left behind,” says Paulo Costa, GlobalSport’s Executive Director.

The main race will be broadcast live on TVI on Sunday morning, while the 10K race will be broadcast live on the “Conta Lá” channel on Saturday morning.

Expo Maratona is also breaking all records in this edition, going from 2,000 to 5,000 square meters, with 52 exhibitors and an unprecedented dynamic, promising to establish itself as a unique expo in Portugal.