To Europeans, the track and field championships this week are more important than the Olympics or World Championships. That might seem skewed, but this is their baby. They live and die for this one. They run the races of their lives.

I don't know if there really are any "average" track fans in the United States, but if there are, they might be wondering what the big deal is with the European Championships.

After all, there are no Americans in this meet. No American stations televise it. They're probably not going to read about it in any of the general sports publications. And their local newspapers will probably only mention the meet in passing, and then only if there is a world record.

Witness Stephane Diagana. The 1997 world champion whose 400-meter hurdle best of 47.37 from seven years ago is still the European record, the Frenchman came back from several disappointing years to put it all together again at age 33. He ran away from the field with his 47.58, a time that only two other Europeans have ever bettered.

Another factor that distinguishes the Euros from all other great track meets is who is not there. It might seem painfully obvious, but it truly affects the competition. Look at the sprints, which on the Grand Prix level are dominated by athletes from the Americas and Africa. Some of the people who will make the Euro finals can't even get into the big meets on the European circuit. So they point for the Munich meet because they know it's their opportunity to make a name for themselves and break into the big time.

Obviously, Greece's Konstantinos Kenteris already has made his name as the Olympic and World 200 meter champion. But he proved just how important the Euros are by running the fastest race of his life on Friday, a 19.85 that would have challenged any American on the circuit. Only one time is faster in European annals, and that was Pietro Mennea's former world record of 19.72. Given all the "problems" with that time, any knowledgeable stat person could safely argue that Kenteris's run is the best ever by a European.

The distances are remarkably different in the European Championships than they are on the circuit. Look at the last Golden League meet in Monaco. In the 3,000, only two Europeans were even allowed into the 17-man field, which was otherwise dominated by Africans. The situation isn't quite so bad for the women, where six of 16 were Europeans. Understandably, all of the top European runners focus their efforts on the Euros every four years, unless they are assured of being good enough at beating the Africans at the prize money game. So unless they're Paula Radcliffe or Gabriella Szabo, they've been pointing seriously to Munich.

That showed in the men's 10,000 meters, where four athletes broke 28-minutes in a competitive, tactical race. That used to be a good time back in the pre-EPO days, and I think it's still quite respectable today. The other amazing race was the men's 1,500, where a smallish beach towel would have covered the first four to the finish. France's Mehdi Bala beat Reyes Estevez of Spain for the gold, both clocking 3:45.25.

The Euros happen every four years, and this is Euro number 18. The first was held back in 1934. Nearly all of the European greats since then have been a part of the meet, and in many cases their successes at the Euros have presaged Olympic successes two years later. If you want to impress your friends next summer with your knowledge during the World Championships, watch these results carefully. You'll see these names again soon.

Farther south
At the same time, the African Championships have distance fans salivating. This year's meet is being held in Tunis, Tunisia, this week. While some of the field events may not quite be at world-class levels (the women's discus went in 181-4, for instance, a decent college mark), the distance running is supreme. Don't worry about the times -- which might not be amazing because of the weather and the undeniable fact that at a championship meet, winning means more than breaking records.

So the races have been tactical. In the steeplechase, for instance, world record holder Brahim Boulami ran away from three Kenyans on the last lap to record the win in 8:19.51 as the rain pounded down for the third day. The Kenyans had earlier swept the 10,000 (led by Paul Kosgei in a very tactical 28:44.81) and taken the first two places in the 1,500.

Namibia's Frank Fredericks continued his sprint comeback, winning the 100 meters in 9.93. Senegal's World 400 champion, Amy Mbacke Thiam, had to pull out with injury, and her race was won by Chad's Nadji Kaltouma in 51.09. Birhane Adere of Ethiopia won the women's 5,000 in 15:51.08.

And where are the Americans?
Lying low, for the most part. Maurice Greene has announced that he will be volunteering his time to help out the sprinters at Woodland High School in Taft, Calif. OK, so that's not big news, and it's not even the high school season anymore, but it is a slow news time in the States, and Mo's PR people know how to work that angle.

Elsewhere, the USA 50 kilometer trail championships are coming up on Aug. 24 in Sausalito, Calif. That's 30-plus miles that include sand, dirt roads and trails, downed trees, seven major hills, and a ladder (?). Sounds like fun to me but don't expect the event to show up in your local newspaper.

Jeff Hollobaugh, former managing editor of Track and Field News, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached by e-mail at michtrack@aol.com.