Defending double champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will compete at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham from August 10–16, confirming his return following Achilles surgery earlier in 2026. The 25-year-old Norwegian holds the 1,500 and 5,000 metres titles from the 2024 European Championships and had been rehabilitating the injury since the operation. His confirmation came just before the July 25 event-entry deadline, and he did not race at his national championships over the same weekend.
Rival Josh Kerr will not be on the start line in Birmingham. The European Championships were never part of Kerr's 2026 schedule, as the Briton focused instead on the Commonwealth Games and a world-record attempt in the mile, which he successfully broke at the London Diamond League on July 18.