Paul McGrath secured the inaugural European half-marathon race walk gold in Birmingham. He finished in 1:23:23, nearly two minutes faster than his previous best.

The race saw McGrath and Germany's Leo Köpp break away, but Köpp's disqualification shifted momentum. McGrath extended his lead to 21 seconds by 19km, securing victory. Read more racing coverage.

María Pérez set a world record in the women's race, finishing in 1:30:06. Italy's Alexandrina Mihai and Ukraine's Lyudmila Olyanovska took silver and bronze. Related: Ansah wins European 200m title, Hughes takes silver.

This original Runner World brief is based on reporting from Athletics Weekly. Visit the source for its complete reporting, context and any later corrections.