Local runner Baldvin Magnusson set a new record in the 10,000m
Baldvin Magnusson of Iceland
Elloughton’s Baldvin Magnusson set a new Icelandic 10,000m national record at the European Championships in Birmingham.
Magnusson, who attended Elloughton Primary School, clocked 28:25.67 to finish 13th, one place behind the leading Brit in the field, David Mullarkey.
The race got off to a slow start but the pace soon picked up as the field fragmented and Sweden’s Andreas Almgren claimed gold in a new Championship record of 27:23.44.
It is Magnusson’s second national record over the same distance in 2026, with the 27-year-old having done likewise on the road in January.
Elsewhere, Lucy Hadaway wants to use her European Championship disappointment as motivation to come back stronger next season.
The 26-year-old from Bubwith finished in 22nd in women’s long jump qualifying with a best jump of 6.33m from her three attempts.
That was not enough to make the final and fell some way short of the distance she managed when becoming a national champion on this track earlier in a summer which has also seen her set a new PB of 6.75m.
“I’m very disappointed in my jumps, especially in front of the amazing home crowd,” she said.
“I know I’m in such great form and I just couldn’t portray it out there. It’s hard at the moment but I know I’m in really good shape and I’m excited for winter training.
“I am going to use this disappointment to fuel that training, get a bit of work in and come back for the indoor season.”
Hadaway arrived in Birmingham fresh from finishing sixth at the Commonwealth Games and has enjoyed the experience of back-to-back major events on UK soil.
“It has been a good year overall considering where I was,” she said.
“None of this was planned for this year. It was about having a bit of fun and seeing what I could do.
“To then get a PB after three years, be back jumping big distances and qualify for my first two senior major championships is quite impressive.”
The City of York AC athlete has little time to reflect on her experience at the Alexander Stadium as she is straight back into the real world.
“I’m moving house on Monday, so not getting to the final has probably made my life a bit easier as I can get home and pack,” she joked.
“I’m back to work as a physiotherapist on Wednesday. We’re not going away anywhere as we have a Romanian rescue dog, who we got last year, who can’t really go with anyone yet as he’s still settling in.
“I think I’m done for the season now but I wouldn’t completely write it off.
“Knowing me, I might think ‘I want to get my big jump out’ and go and do a random competition, but my coach will probably tell me not to!”
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