Italy takes marathon title at Europeans

Daniele Meucci has won the men's marathon for Italy at the European Athletics Championships ahead of Yared Shegumo of Poland and Aleksey Reunkov of Russia.

Meucci pounced with less than ten kilometres to go and won in two hours, 11 minutes, 8 seconds.

With Paul Pollock out injured, the three Irish involved all finished in the top half.

Sean Hehir (from Rathfarnham WSAF) was 20th in 2 hours 17 minutes 59 seconds, Kevin Seaward (St Malachy's Belfast) 28th in 2:20:30, and Thomas Frazer (St Malachy's Belfast) 35th in 2:22:32.

Hehir said afterwards: "I'm delighted with this time. It was very sad that Paul Pollock couldn't make it as he did his best until the last minute to make it to the start line but realised last night it couldn't happen. I have to pay tribute to my coach Dick Hooper and my club in Rathfarnham WSAF, and so many people who helped me get this far. And look at yesterday's winner aged 39 in the women's marathon and the great Viktor Rothin in it today at 40. It's not a young man's game!"

Later on, Paul Robinson and Ciarán Ó Lionáird will be in the 1500m final, and Ireland compete in the men's 4x400m relay final with the quartet to consist of Brian Gregan, 800m bronze-medallist Mark English, Richard Morrissey and Thomas Barr.

Semi-final competitor Brian Murphy will be reserve.