A local couple have turned personal loss into purpose by taking on a series of endurance challenges to raise awareness and funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK (PCUK).
Tabetha Dale had never run before she started attending Jubilee parkrun on Saturday mornings. She began by walking the course, gradually building confidence and eventually progressing to running alongside others in the local community.
Inspired by her partner Tracey Dale, who completed the London Marathon in 2023, Tabetha set her sights on a new challenge: the 2024 Loch Ness Marathon. That first marathon became her initial fundraising effort for PCUK. It marked the beginning of a journey that would grow much bigger.
The cause was deeply personal. Tabetha’s sister, Lesley, died on 29 June 2025, less than a year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Lesley was an NHS nurse who dedicated her life to caring for others, but she was also a daughter, a wife, a mother, and an aunty. Her loss left what the family describe as a “Lesley-shaped hole” that will never be filled.
“That was our ‘why’,” says Tabetha. “When training was hard, that’s what kept us going.”
After the success of Loch Ness, Tabetha and Tracey were determined to raise even more money and awareness. Whilst the pair trained for, and completed, the 2025 Chicago Marathon, they were fundraising for Tabetha’s PCUK place in the 2026 London Marathon. Tracey added her further support to the fundraising effort in her own way, by taking on the demanding Kingdom of Northumbria 33 mile Ultra Marathon 2026 from Bamburgh to Druridge Bay.
“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity and encouragement of family and friends in Spennymoor and beyond,” said the couple, who have a special thanks to the Jubilee parkrun and wider parkrun community for their continued support throughout the campaign.
Together, the couple have raised over £5,000 for PCUK. There is no early detection test for this disease, and that’s something this charity is working urgently to change. All the money raised goes to PCUK research and to supporting for families battling against this terrible disease.
Anyone who would like to read their story or make a donation to their fundraising efforts can do so here.
Spennymoor's local community newspaper.
