Balkan Indoor Championships 2026 – Performance of Fortius and Tirana athletes

Date and venue. The 2026 Balkan Indoor Championships for senior athletes took place on 21 February 2026 at the Banjica indoor arena in Belgrade. According to the Balkan Athletics news release, the meeting gathered around 300 athletes from 21 Balkan Athletics member nations, and it was officially opened by federation president Slobodan Branković and European Athletics president Dobromir Karamarinov.

Albanian participation. The Albanian federation sent 12 athletes and two coaches. The delegation included runners from Fortius Athletics Club and Tirana, which have become hubs for sprint and middle‑distance talent in Albania.

Results of Fortius/Tirana athletes

Phoebe Mustafaraj – 60 metres

The 15-year-old sprinter competed in the 60 m heats and finished sixth in her heat with a time of 7.82 seconds, improving her seasonal best. This mark also stands as the Albanian national indoor record for both the U-18 and U-20 categories in the 60 metres. Her reaction time was 0.122 s, reflecting a strong start.

At the Albanian winter championship in Elbasan in late January she had run 7.92 seconds. The 0.10 s improvement in Belgrade highlights the effectiveness of her winter preparation. Setting a double national record (U-18 and U-20) at an international championship further confirms her exceptional potential.

Relaksa Dauti – 800 metres

Relaksa Dauti competed in the women’s 800 m and finished second in her heat (timed section) with a time of 2:09.18, setting a new personal best. In her section she was narrowly beaten by Israel’s Shani Zakay (2:08.86).

At the Albanian Winter Championship she had run 2:11.47. The 2:09.18 performance in Belgrade represents an improvement of over two seconds, confirming her steady development and competitiveness at Balkan level.

With 1039 Olympic scoring points earned at the 2026 Balkan Indoor Championships, Relaksa has been named Albania’s Best Female Athlete of the Year.

Redia Dauti – 3000 metres

The women’s 3000 m was contested as a single timed final. Redia Dauti recorded 9:46.76, finishing fourth in that final section and achieving both a season-best (SB) and a personal best (PB) performance.

At the Winter Individual Championship in Elbasan she had run 9:59.03. The 12-second improvement in Belgrade highlights significant progress in pace and endurance, bringing her closer to regional podium standards.

Iljana Beqiri – 400 metres

The women’s 400 m was contested in timed sections. Iljana Beqiri ran in Final 4 (her section) and finished fourth in her section with a time of 57.60 seconds. Overall, this placed her 11th based on combined times.

At the Albanian Winter Championship she had run 57.32 seconds. Although slightly slower in Belgrade, her performance remains consistent and keeps her among Albania’s key 400 m athletes, especially with regard to relay prospects.

Summary and significance

The 2026 Balkan Indoor Championships demonstrated a high level of competition across sprint and middle‑distance events. Although Albania did not win gold medals, the Fortius/Tirana athletes delivered promising performances. Phoebe Mustafaraj achieved a substantial season‑best in the 60 m, Relaksa Dauti achieved a personal best in the 800 m, Redia Dauti improved her 3000 m time by over ten seconds, and Iljana Beqiri maintained competitive form in the 400 m. These results signal a positive trajectory for Albanian athletics ahead of the European indoor season and underscore the growing strength of clubs Fortius and Tirana in nurturing young talent.