Sunderland Stroller Dixon completes personal haul when she heads to Berlin for European Marathon Championships

This will be the first time for 39-year-old in the European Marathon Championship, and this follows on from her previous marathon selections for the Olympic Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

The Sunderland Stroller, who is recovering from injury and missed out on competing in her favourite Blaydon race on Saturday, has now pencilled in the Bridges of the Tyne Five Mile Road Race, along the Newcastle Quayside to test her fitness on Tuesday, July 3.

A full team of six women have been selected to compete in the Marathon in Berlin. Joining Dixon in Berlin will be former Wallsend runner Sonia Samuels (Sale), who also missed out on the big Blaydon race.

Having attained the 2.36 standard last year, Samuels and Dixon earned automatic selection for the European Championships Marathon after finishing as the top Britons in fifth and sixth places respectively at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April.

Dixon was part of a three-strong women’s team that competed in the IAAF World Championships in London last summer.

Lily Partridge (Aldershot), coach by former Sunderland Harrier Alan Storey, leads the team after clocking 2.29.24 on her London Marathon debut, which acted as the British Championships and European trial.

She was the quickest Briton during the qualification period and fulfilled the automatic selection criteria.

The other women selected are Tracy Barlow (Thames Valley Harriers), who recorded 2.32.09 in London in finishing second behind Partridge.

Charlotte Purdue (Aldershot) earned her selection for Berlin after twice running inside the selection standard at the World Championships in London and then in Japan in November.

Caryl Jones (Swansea) also coached by Storey, completes the team. Jones, clocked 2.34.12 in Amsterdam in October and represented Wales in the Marathon at the Commonwealth Games, finishing eighth.

The British team will be contesting for medals in Berlin, with a minimum of three required to compete for the European Marathon Cup.

British Athletics Performance Director Neil Black said: “We are encouraged by the strength of performances during the qualification period and we look forward to being competitive in the women’s event in the European Marathon Cup.

“Several British men fulfilled the qualifying standard and it was the intention of the selection panel to have representation in Berlin, however, personal preference or injury means no places were accepted.”

There were two Durham County Schools records broken in the County Championships at Gateshead on Saturday.

Gateshead’s Amelia Bateman broke the Senior Girls’ high jump record with 1.72m and Daniel Joyce was the record breaker in the Inter Boys 800m with 1.55.

West Wearside’s Philippa Ellis gained the English Schools entry standard in winning the Inter Girls 80m hurdles (11.8).

West Wearside’s Henry Johnson won the Inters 1,500m (4.19), but he has already got the English Schools’ entry standard of 4.06 with his 4.00.2 at Monkton.

His Houghton Harriers’ clubmate Will Bellamy won the 3,000m (9.03.4) and the entry standard is 8.56, which he achieved at a British Milers’ Club race at Leeds (8.53.01)

West Wearside’s Lucy Scothern was just outside the Junior Girls’ 800m entry standard (2.19), with her winning performance of 2.20.4.

Durham Central’s Matthew Lumb (11.9) was close to the qualifying mark (11.7) in winning the Junior Boys’ 100m and Sunderland Harrier Jordan Beavers was a good winner of the Senior Boys’ 100m (11.4).

The Inter County match takes place at Gateshead on Saturday, with athletes having another chance of gaining an English Schools’ standard. The English Schools’ Championships are held at Birmingham on July 13-14.

Henry Johnson (800m) 1.55.7 and Philippa Ellis 80m hurdles (11.66) were judged to be the athletes with the best performances in the second North East Grand Prix at Monkton.

In the third meeting of the North East Masters’ Athletics League at Monkton, Sunderland Harriers had two winners over 400m.

Nicola Woodward won the Over-40 race in 66.9 and Anna Harris won the Over-45 event in 69.0.

Houghton Harrier Over-60 Steve Todner won the 100m in 13.7.

In meeting two, Sunderland Harrier George Harden broke Roger Wilson’s Sunderland Harriers’ Over-55 800m record (2.33.0) with his performance of 2.28.0.

Elswick Harriers stage their Newburn River Run tonight at Newburn (7.15pm). Late entries will be accepted.

On Sunday, the Aycliffe 10km takes place at Greenfield School, Greenfield Way, Newton Aycliffe (10am).