On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, inclusive sporting movement Special Olympics Great Britain (GB) has announced that its first-ever team of athletes with an intellectual (learning) disability will run the 2026 TCS London Marathon.
Building on the success of the three Special Olympics GB athletes who have completed the 26.2-mile event over the last two years, 10 athletes from across Great Britain will now take on the marathon in 2026, raising vital funds for Special Olympics GB’s National Summer Games.
Sponsor the Team
- Matthew Brough, Special Olympics City of York
- Erica Dixon, Special Olympics Teasdale
- Niall Guite, Special Olympics Sheffield
- Angus Leckonby, Special Olympics City of Hull
- Lloyd Martin, Prime Acrobatics and Ascot United Warriors
- Alex McNally, Special Olympics St Albans
- Daniel Mills, Special Olympics Stafford Athletics Club
- James Velli-Smith, Special Olympics Surrey
- Luka White, Special Olympics Surrey
- James Wyatt, Derbyshire Allstars
Among the team are two Guinness World Records title holders: Surrey-based Lloyd Martin, who became the youngest male with Down Syndrome (II2) to complete a marathon in 2024, and East Yorkshire’s Angus Leckonby, who became the youngest and fastest male with an intellectual disability (II1) to complete a marathon in 2025.
Erica Dixon, from Barnard Castle, will become Special Olympics GB’s first known female athlete to complete the TCS London Marathon, whilst two of the athletes will be running a marathon for the very first time, showing that new dreams can be started at any stage.
These athletes are not only entering one of the world’s most iconic races, they are breaking down barriers and challenging perceptions of what individuals with intellectual disabilities can achieve.
“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.”
Through a combination of individual and corporate sponsorship, Special Olympics GB hopes to raise £50,000 through its inaugural team of athletes running the 2026 TCS London Marathon. These funds will go directly towards the hosting costs of Special Olympics GB’s 2026 National Summer Games, which plans to give sporting competition to 1,700 children and adults with an intellectual disability.
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 multisport event featuring Special Olympics GB’s most popular sports, alongside a series of single-sport national championships held across the country. Further details on the dates and location of the National Summer Games will be confirmed in due course.