Edwards reflects on ‘amazing’ European marathon in Munich

The Halifax athlete, 33, crossed the line in 35th on the opening day of the European Athletics Championships after clocking a season’s best time of 2:40:47.

The 26-mile contest represented both a team and individual event and alongside Naomi Mitchell, Becky Briggs and Alice Wright, British stars finished sixth as Germany grabbed gold.

The temperatures were soaring but Edwards admits it was an experience she’ll never forget.

She said: “It was a tough day. It was pretty hard but we knew it was about battling for the team.

“It was a great and amazing atmosphere – the crowds were crazy. That really helped haul us over the line – I was really struggling over the last 10km but having everyone cheering me on was pretty special.”

Edwards finished 12 minutes behind individual champion Aleksandra Lisowska, who stopped the clock in a season’s best 2:28:36 to romp to an impressive victory.

Croat and Dutch stars Matea Parlov Kostro and Nienke Brinkman completed the podium at Munich’s iconic Odeonsplatz square.

The multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, featuring Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Canoe Sprint, Cycling, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Rowing, Sport Climbing, takes place August 11 to 21 on the 50th anniversary of the Olympics Games in the German city. Watch daily live coverage across BBC One, Two, Red Button, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website.