Battocletti opens up the afterburners!

She is far too good...

Megan Keith has been left behind, it looks like an agonising fourth for the Brit.

The gold meanwhile is on the line as the leaders enter their final lap...

Megan Keith is caught - Jana van Lent, Maureen Koster and Nadia Battocletti have all kicked for home.

It looks like Keith has nothing left to give.

Two laps to go.

Megan Keith still has the lead, you can see her checking the big screens to help judge the distance to her rivals and the number of laps remaining.

Paula Radcliffe
Former women's marathon world record holder on BBC One

It's tough mentally to keep looking up at the screen and not seeing anyone detach from that leading group but Megan Keith has to stick at this. I think she will back herself against Van Lent but she can't compete against Battocletti and Koster at their best.

The front four have opened up a big gap to the rest of the field. It appears almost certain the three medallists will come from Keith, Van Lent, Battocletti and Koster.

Can Keith stay on course for gold? Less than 2000m to go.

Megan Keith has surged back to the front of this race!

This time she looks like she means business. She has Jana van Lent of Belgium on her shoulder, with Nadia Battocletti in third and Maureen Koster fourth.

Can Keith hold on?

GB's Izzy Fry is caught in a bit of a crowd and trips after catching the heel of Maureen Koster. Thankfully she is able to pick herself up and re-join the race without losing too much time.

3000m to go.

Heptathlon leader Adrianna Sulek-Schubert is content with her opening throw of 14.65m and she opts out of her remaining two attempts in the shot put.

Kate O'Connor improves on her first effort, adding 50cm for 13.96m, but she's clutching her wrist after that one.

The Irish heptathlete didn't look comfortable there and she will be hoping it isn't a lingering injury that impacts her javelin throw tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Katarina Johnson-Thompson can't better her opening 12.79m. That leaves her 20th in the shot put as things stand.

Image source, Getty Images

Steve Cram
BBC athletics commentator at Alexander Stadium

It's all about how you feel on the night on the track.

The thing about the long race on the track is the demons can come and go in your head, and those thoughts that go through your head have to be banished.

Reigning champion Nadia Battocletti has moved into third place, on the shoulder of Megan Keith.

The Italian will be eyeing up whether she should make her dart soon.

For now, she allows herself to be swallowed back into the pack.

The stands at Alexander Stadium are definitely fuller tonight. Friday night plus home hero Keely Hodgkinson have brought the Birmingham fans in.

They are giving Megan Keith plenty of support as this race passes half-way.

Image source, Getty Images

Approaching the half-way mark in this test of endurance.

Lisa Merkel of Germany has retaken the lead from Megan Keith. The Brit doesn't look too perturbed though - she has done what she wanted and upped the pace of this race a little.

Megan Keith has put her foot down, and has moved to the front of the field at the 3000m mark.

Battocletti and Koster have also upped their pace.

Image source, PA Media

Dutch athlete Maureen Koster has run a European-leading 30:50.31 this season, and is another serious medal contender in the 10,000m.

She is another runner biding her time at the moment.

Nadia Batocletti, the Italian aiming to win an unprecedented back to back European double of 5,000m and 10,000m, is happy to sit in the pack at the moment.

We are around 2,250m into this race.

After a very sedate opening 1000m, Germany's Lisa Merkel has decided to up the pace and is leading the pack now.

GB's Megan Keith is sat in second place at this very early stage.

Image source, Getty Images

We are under way in the longest track event of these championships.

It's a fairly slow pace, understandably given the heatwave conditions in Birmingham. There are water stations lining the track at Alexander Stadium, should athletes wish to avail of them.