Abbie Donnelly has made history by winning Great Britain's first ever women's marathon medal at the European Championships, securing a bronze in Sunday's race held in Birmingham.
Donnelly, 29, finished 12 seconds after the Hungarian winner, Vindics-Toth, crossing the line in a challenging and hilly course. She described the experience as "amazing" and a "relief to get round the course."
"I can't believe it to be honest," Donnelly said following the race. "That was an amazing experience and a relief to get round the course, it was so hilly."
She adopted a cautious approach in the early stages of the race, particularly in the first half, anticipating the impact of the hills. "I think it was a case of being really cautious at the start, especially the first half, knowing those hills would slowly catch up with you," she explained.
For much of the race, Donnelly and her teammate Wilson ran together in the chasing pack behind the early solo leader, Vainio. Donnelly noted that having a teammate for company was a "massive" help.
Prior to her success on the road, Donnelly had a strong background in cross country running, where she won two team gold medals at the European Cross Country Championships. She transitioned to road racing and contributed to a team gold medal in the half marathon at her first European Championships in Rome in 2024.
"It means everything to do this here in Birmingham," Donnelly stated. "I've never done a home champs before so to have the crowd shout 'Abbie Donnelly' was an incredible experience."
Reflecting on the team's performance, she added, "It's so exciting, we were talking about it yesterday about how we'd love to get a gold. I'm so proud of the whole team, they all ran amazingly."
Donnelly expressed her passion for the sport, saying, "I love the people in this sport. I love the friends I've made. I love the feeling once you've finished the race. The whole atmosphere of running, it's such a friendly group. It's such a privilege to be part of the team."