Sport · Athletics · 4 November 2026
Paula Dunn MBE receives TAFi Recognition Award
Paula Dunn MBE has been named the winner of the TAFi Recognition Award, British Athletics announced. The ceremony took place at The Ivy Club in London’s West End. The 2026 TAFi Awards also introduced a new category called 'Technical Official of the Year'.
British Athletics confirmed that Paula Dunn MBE received the TAFi Recognition Award at the second Track and Field Inclusion Awards. The event was held at The Ivy Club in London’s West End. Dunn is currently the performance director at UK Athletics and became the first female head coach appointed by the governing body.
Her career includes competing as a sprinter at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and winning five Commonwealth Games medals. After the 2012 London Games, she led the Paralympic programme. Under her leadership, the GB Paralympic track and field team won 33 medals at Rio 2016, a figure described as the biggest-ever medal haul for the team.
Joel Campbell and Michael Facey, TAFi co-founders, said: "As we saw and heard in the evening, Dunn has been an inspiration her whole career; we're just glad to be able to honour that endeavour with this recognition." They added that she is a fantastic ambassador for British track and field, with influence felt far and wide.
Dunn was awarded an MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to athletics. The 2026 TAFi Awards marked the introduction of a new category, 'Technical Official of the Year'. The co-founders also congratulated all winners and those nominated for a 2026 TAFi Award.
Written by StreetOwl from British Athletics, a governing body’s own announcement. It was drafted by StreetOwl’s own model, every figure and quotation was checked by code against the announcement, and it was read and approved by Michael Rossi before it went up. It says what was announced, not what anyone should do about it.
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