A record 593 athletes from 33 countries will compete at the third edition of the European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships in Ljubljana-Kamnik, Slovenia.
Organised by European Athletics and a local organising committee in Ljubljana, the event takes place this month from June 5–7, 2026. The figures underline what is, according to the organising team, the spectacular growth of the championships since its launch in 2022.
The European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships presented by I feel Slovenia is the successor to the European Mountain Running Championships and combines the disciplines of trail and mountain running with races for national teams (seniors and U20 athletes) as well as recreational runners.
Alongside European Athletics, the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) is supporting official event communications. ITRA is a non-profit organisation that is focused on the development, promotion and ethical governance of trail running worldwide. It notes that it supports athletes, races and national associations while helping safeguard the values and spirit of the sport.
The final Off-Road Running Championships entries confirm the biggest championships yet. Participation has increased by more than 100 athletes compared to the previous edition in Annecy in 2024, which attracted around 480 competitors from 30 countries. The 2026 numbers are more than double those seen at the inaugural championships in El Paso in 2022, where 283 runners from 24 countries competed.
Hosted across the mountain terrain of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, the 2026 European Athletics Off-Road Running Championships will feature competition in mountain running and trail running disciplines. Titles will be awarded in senior men, senior women and U20 categories. The U20 athletes will contest the mountain running events only.
Athletes will compete in the classic uphill and up-and-down mountain running disciplines as well as trail running, with both individual and team medals on offer throughout the three-day programme.
The entry lists feature many of the big names in international mountain and trail running, including world and European champions and medallists. Among the standout names in the women’s races is Sweden’s Tove Alexandersson. A multiple world champion in both trail running and orienteering, Alexandersson arrives after winning international medals across mountain and trail disciplines in recent years. She is entered in both the Up & Down mountain race and the Trail race.
Great Britain’s Scout Adkin will also be among the leading contenders. The British racer has established herself as one of Europe’s premier mountain runners through a string of European and world championship medals, particularly in uphill racing, and will target the podium again in both mountain disciplines.
Ireland’s Sarah McCormack brings championship experience to the Classic Hill race. A former WMRA World Cup series winner, McCormack has been a fixture at the top level of international mountain running for more than a decade.
Switzerland fields one of the strongest women’s squads in the championships, led by Maude Mathys and Judith Wyder. Mathys is a multiple European mountain running champion, while Wyder – originally one of the world’s top orienteers – has become one of the leading names in trail running after winning major international medals in recent years. Both will be medal contenders in Slovenia.
France’s Clémentine Geoffray, the reigning world short trail champion, heads the French women’s team alongside experienced international racers such as Adeline Martin and Audrey Tanguy. Spain’s Sara Alonso also enters after emerging as one of Europe’s top technical mountain and trail runners through the Golden Trail and WMTRC circuits.
The men’s races are equally filled with international talent. Italy’s Cesare Maestri – a world and European medallist in mountain running – will be among the favourites in the mountain events. Maestri has long been one of Italy’s leading off-road runners and will spearhead another Italian squad.
Spain’s Manuel Merillas and Andreu Blanes offer pedigree across mountain, trail and skyrunning competitions. Merillas has produced podium performances at some of the world’s toughest mountain races, while Blanes – originally an elite orienteer – has developed into one of Spain’s most versatile off-road athletes.
Norway’s Stian Angermund is another name in the entries. A former world trail champion and winner of mountain races, Angermund adds further depth to the men’s trail field. France’s Frédéric Tranchand, another athlete with a strong orienteering background, arrives as one of the world’s top short-trail specialists after claiming major international victories over recent seasons.
Switzerland also boasts depth in the men’s mountain races through Roberto Delorenzi, Dominik Rolli and Jonas Soldini, all of whom helped Switzerland secure medals at recent world championships and have become consistent performers on the international mountain running circuit.
The championships will also showcase the next generation of mountain running talent through the U20 races, which have grown since the inaugural edition and now feature fields from traditional mountain running nations such as Italy, Spain, France, Great Britain and Switzerland.
