A young dale athlete has been selected to join a Special Olympics Great Britain team to take part in next year’s London Marathon.
Erica Dixon, from Barnard Castle, is one of ten runners with learning disabilities to be asked to join the team.
The selection makes Erica Special Olympics GB’s first known female athlete to complete the TCS London Marathon.
The team will be fundraising towards the hosting of the Special Olympics GB’s 2026 National Summer Games, which plans to give sporting competition to 1,700 children and adults with an intellectual disability.
Erica said: “I started running when I was in primary school in Startforth. At The Oaks secondary school in Spennymoor, I was given support to take part in national running events. Teesdale Athletic Club has been amazing and has helped me a lot with my running.”
“For the last two years, I ran the Manchester Marathon because I couldn’t get into the London one. This year was very hot, but I was proud to finish all 26.2 miles without quitting.”
“Earlier this year, I swam at a Special Olympics GB event in Liverpool and they found out about my running. That same weekend, I collected my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.
“I was surprised and excited to learn that I will be the first girl to run the London Marathon for Special Olympics GB.”
Laura Baxter, chief executive of Special Olympics GB, said: “It was an unforgettable moment watching two of our athletes cross the finish line in 2024, and to grow this to a team of 10 athletes in just two years shows how far Special Olympics GB has come, and how determined our athletes are to reach new heights and end stereotypes.
“We are incredibly grateful to London Marathon Events and its accessibility team for their continued support in creating opportunities and shining a light on our athletes’ achievements.”
Staged for the first time since 2017, Special Olympics GB recently announced a hybrid format for the 2026 National Summer Games, combining a four-to-five-day multi-sport event featuring Special Olympics GB’s most popular sports, alongside a series of single-sport national championships held across the country.
