Nadia Batokleti Aims for European 10,000m Cup History
All eyes will be on Nadia Batokleti, who will lead home hopes for the European 10,000m Cup in the Italian coastal city of La Spezia on Saturday, May 23, 2026. As the reigning Olympic and World silver medalist and European champion in the discipline, she starts as the absolute favorite to claim another continental title.
Besides individual glory, Italy’s "azzurri" are optimistic about team success, with a strong squad assembled to support Batokleti.
Since her memorable double of 5000m and 10000m wins at the European Athletics Championships in Rome in 2024, Batokleti has been in one of the most prolific medal-spree periods in modern athletics. She has won Olympic silver in the 10,000m, World silver in the 10,000m, bronze in the 5000m, two titles in the European Cross Country Championships, gold in the 10km at the European Road Championships, and most recently, her first World title, winning gold in the 3000m at the World Indoor Championships.
Returning to Italy with the national team for the European 10,000m Cup two years after Rome, the 26-year-old athlete is experienced and consistent, making a home European victory highly likely.
Her range of skills means Batokleti can win the 10,000m in any number of ways – from leading with high pace to sprinting in the final.
If she wins as expected on Saturday, it will be her 14th major victory in European athletics competitions on track, road, and cross country.
No Italian woman has ever won the individual title at the European 10,000m Cup, so Batokleti has another chance to make history.
In addition to Batokleti, other names deserve attention. Jaz Martin, who now lives in Andorra, competes for Great Britain. After finishing in the final of the 10,000m at both the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and the European Championships in Amsterdam, she took a break from the sport to start a family.
Another athlete enjoying a late-career breakthrough is Poland's Elżbieta Glinka. At 32, she made her mark on the national scene last year, winning bronze in the 10,000m at the Polish Championships. She was also selected for the European Road Championships in Brussels-Leuven, where she finished 33rd in the 10km.
France's greatest hope is Alesia Zarbo, who took silver behind Belgium's Yana Van Lent last year in Pase. She recently won the French title in the 10,000m and is expected to fight for medals again. Strong Spanish competition will come from Alicia Berrosa, the bronze medalist in the 10,000m at the World University Games.
Latvia's Agate Cāune, still in the early stages of her career, hopes to rediscover the form that took her to world championships and Olympic competition as a teenager. The young Latvian has plenty of time to leave her mark among women.
In support of Batokleti, Italy has assembled an impressive squad to fight for the team title, led by Elisa Palmero and Federica Del Buono. Palmero finished sixth behind Batokleti at the European Championships in Rome in 2024 and was fifth in last year's competition in Pase.
Nadia Batokleti has been on fire lately, dominating the 10,000m scene. Can anyone stop her in La Spezia, or will she make history again? The competition is fierce, but her form is unstoppable. Let's see if she can break the mold and become the first Italian to win this cup!