Nestled on the shores of the Aegean, with blue waters twinkling in the early sun, several runners gather at 8am. It’s mid-May, there’s a very slight nip in the air, and there are some clouds hanging around before the growing heat burns them off. You could mistake it for a parkrun , transplanted to a more exotic location than normal, until a familiar figure bounds up; she walks, like she runs, on her toes, barely touching the ground, almost floating.
And yes, it is Paula Radcliffe. Oh. My.
God. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Star, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. She’s here, with several other Olympians and dancing stars, at the Anda Barut Collection hotels, as part of a wellness weekend, and is kicking off the day’s proceedings with a gentle 3.
5-mile run around the grounds. Straight after this, Daley Thompson, Colin Jackson, Denise Lewis and Jamie Baulch (a relay team of Oh My God times four) will display their sadistic side, putting the group through circuit training on the seafront. It will make everyone (well, this writer) ache for the rest of the day but will be a) tremendous fun and b) tick off the niche bucket list entry that reads “be amusingly humiliated in front of strangers by a double Olympic gold medallist whose autograph you had when you were a child”.
Well, it was ticked off my bucket list. Possib.
