The 1969 European Athletics Championships were the ninth European Athletics Championships which were held from 16–21 September 1969 at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, Greece. New at these championships were the women's 1500 metres and the women's 4×400 metres relay event. Moreover, women's 80 metres hurdles was replaced by women's 100 metres hurdles. Contemporaneous reports on the event were given in the Glasgow Herald. Former East German runner Jürgen May, who had defected, was not allowed to compete for his new country, West Germany, due to IAAF rules requiring him to live there for at least three years; he had competed for East Germany in the 1966 championships. West German officials promptly withdrew their athletes from all individual events in protest, but decided to compete in the relay races as a symbolic gesture to show their respect for the Greek organisers. The Dutch decathlete Edward de Noorlander was disqualified for the use of amphetamine, the first disqualification for doping in athletics.

Medal summary

Complete results were published.

Men

Women

Medal table

Participation

According to an unofficial count, 675 athletes from 30 countries participated in the event, one athlete more than the official number of 674 as published.