October is traditionally a month of transition in European Athletics with the spotlight falling on road races ahead of the winter calendar starting in earnest.
Consequently, European Athletics is pleased to announce that athletes from 13 different countries have been nominated for the October award.
At the end of each month, a panel of experts produces a shortlist of the outstanding athletes and performances achieved by European athletes during that month, which is then mailed to the European athletics media and thousands of fans who have signed up to receive news from European Athletics.
The European Athlete of the Month fan voting takes place through our Facebook page, while members of the media can cast their vote on our website.
Fans are also able to vote through the European Athletics mobile applications on iPhone and Android phones.
The public, media and a group of expert statisticians cast their votes for the European Athlete of the Month with each category counting as 33.3 per cent of the vote.
For example, the winner of each poll will be awarded 10 points, second 9 points, etc. and the athlete with the most points after the three different polls have been counted will be declared the winner.
In the unlikely event of a tie, Hansjörg Wirz, the president of European Athletics, will have the casting vote.
The voting will close on 20 November at noon CET.
The European Athlete of the Month initiative was launched in January 2007 and is designed to recognise outstanding performers at all levels of the sport in Europe.
No athlete who has previously served a two-year doping ban can be nominated for the European Athlete of the Month.
Click here to cast your fan vote.
MEN'S NOMINEES
Abdellatif Meftah FRA (marathon)
One of the top road runners in Europe in recent years, he ran 2:11:05 at the Frankfurt Marathon on 27 October, the fifth fastest time by a European this year.
Abdi Hakin Ulad DEN (cross country)
Won well at the opening meeting in the 36th edition of Denmark’s Cross Challenge in Middlefart, covering the 8.7km course in 28:53 on 29 October.
Andy Vernon GBR (road running)
The former SPAR European Cross Country Championships junior and under 23 silver medallist set a European best over four miles at the famous Groningen road race on 13 October.
Ayad Lamdassem ESP (half marathon)
The 2010 and 2011 SPAR European Cross Country Championships silver medallist ran the sixth fastest time by a European runner this year when he clocked 1:01:59 at the Great Scottish Run in Edinburgh on 6 October.
Bekir Karayel TUR (road running)
Set a Turkish record of 29:04, improving his personal best by 26 seconds at the Kocaelli 10km race on 26 October.
˜rjan Grønnevig NOR (cross country)
Ninth in last year’s SPAR European Cross Country Championships under 23 race and still 22, he was an impressive winner at the Djupadilten road race in Haugesund over 9.326km, crossing the line in 28:09 on 26 October.
Perseus Karlström SWE (race walks)
The 23-year-old improved his personal best in the 50km event to 3:52:43, when winning on home soil in Eskilstuna on 6 October.
Renaud Lavillenie FRA (pole vault)
He is still jumping even in at this time of year and the 2012 Olympic and European champion had his 29th competition of the year, clearing 5.70m at a French inter-clubs meeting in St Etienne on 13 October.
Serhiy Lebid UKR (marathon)
The nine-time SPAR European Cross Country Championships winner finished his first marathon when he came home second in hot conditions at the Lisbon Marathon, crossing the line in 2:11:24 on 6 October.
Yohan Diniz FRA (race walks)
The two-time European Athletics Championships 50km race walk winner won the one hour walk with 13,875m in the Swiss city of Lugano on 12 October, and the following day won the 20km race in 1:23:17.
WOMEN'S NOMINEES
Alice Gaggi ITA (mountain running)
Followed up her win at the World Mountain Running Championships with a good victory at the final Grand Prix event of the year, the International Smarna Gora Mountain Running Race, close to Ljubljana, on 5 October.
Federica Ferraro ITA (race walks)
The 25-year-old former national champion improved her best by 25 seconds when she won over 20km in 1:31:20 in the Swiss city of Lugano on 13 October.
Fionnuala Britton IRL (cross country)
The 2011 and 2012 SPAR European Cross Country Championships gold medallist had an impressive win over 5km in 15:45 at the Gerry Farnan Cross Country Festival in Dublin on October 20.
Gemma Steel GBR (road running)
The 2011 SPAR Cross Country Championships silver medallist was a convincing winner at the challenging Bupa Great Birmingham Run Half Marathon in a personal best of 1:10:19 on 20 October.
Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal NOR (road running)
The former European junior cross country champion won the Hytteplanmila 10km in the Norwegian town of Royse in a time of 31:52 on 19 October, the second fastest 10km on the road by a European this year
Mariya Konovalova RUS (marathon)
Now 39, the 2006 SPAR Cross Country Championships silver medallist clocked a personal best of 2:22:46 at the Chicago Marathon on 13 October, the fastest time by a European runner this year.
Martina Strahl SUI (road running)
The two-time European mountain running champion won the 80th edition of the Murten-Freiburg race over 17.45km in 1:03:03 on 6 October, the first domestic winner since 2002.
Oona Kettunen FIN (half marathon)
The 2013 European Athletics Junior Championship 3000m steeplechase gold medallist won the Vantaa Half Marathon in 1:14:08, a Finnish age best, on 19 October.
Stephanie Twell GBR (road racing)
The former SPAR European Cross Country Championships junior winner, clocked 55:00 for 10 miles in the London suburb of Twickenham on 20 October, the second fastest time by a European this year.
Valeria Straneo ITA (half marathon)
Won the Rock’n’Roll Vodafone Half Marathon of Portugal in Lisbon on 6 October, the first non-African man or women to win in 14 years of the race, crossing the line in 1:09:23.