‘You do surprise me’ – Paula Radcliffe left utterly stunned by Alan Brazil’s half-marathon time
Alan Brazil once completed a half-marathon wearing a pair of adidas Gazelles… yes, you read that right. A claim seemingly so far fetched it left long-distance running queen Paula Radcliffe utterly stunned. Alan Brazil’s hilarious half marathon debut shocked running stars. Brazil netted three goals in 19 games for Spurs.Getty The three-time London Marathon champion, Radcliffe, along with former British long-distance runner Chris Thompson, joined the talkSPORT Breakfast show on Friday morning. The duo were alongside Alan Brazil and Ray Parlour to promote their new podcast, ‘Paula’s Marathon Run Club.’ During their lively conversation, Brazil recounted the unexpected tale of his half-marathon initiation. “I was playing for Tottenham at the time. We played up North, we won, dumped the cars, and we all went to the pub when we got back,” Brazil said. “I got a knock on the door Sunday at 6 am; it was a friend of mine. “I said, ‘No, I’m not golfing today. My wife says it’s not golf; you’re doing the Welwyn Garden City half marathon.’ “I said, ‘You’re having a laugh, right?’ My friend insisted, ‘Come on, get out of bed; we’re raising money; you’ve got to do it.’ “All I had in the house was a pair of adidas Gazelles.” For those who don’t know, Gazelles are hardly renowned for their support or cushy soles. But it’s Brazil’s astonishing time that will truly leave you in awe… “I completed the 13.1 miles and ran it in 1 hour 32 minutes. I couldn’t walk for three days,” Brazil confessed. Paula Radcliffe & Chris Thompson couldn’t believe Brazil’s time. Radcliffe, reflecting the disbelief many of us felt, exclaimed, “You do surprise me!” “It was a little bit different then, Paula,” Brazil explained. Back in the 80s, it might not have been shocking to see someone running in such dubious footwear; today, of course, it’s a whole different world! “It’s more the fact that in those shoes you managed to do that,” Radcliffe remarked, incredulously. “If anyone tried to run a half marathon in those shoes, you would struggle the next day.” Brazil replied, “That’s all I had, so I had to do it.” Nowadays you’d be surprised to see Brazil running 13.1 miles, given his love for a cheeky tipple with his co-host Ray Parlour. The 65-year-old joined Tottenham Hotspur in March 1983 for a fee of £425,000, making his mark by scoring six times in 10 appearances for the club. In his one full season at White Hart Lane, he netted three goals in 19 games. He also contributed four goals during Tottenham’s memorable UEFA Cup run but was unfortunately not part of the squad for the final. Radcliffe’s genuine surprise at Brazil’s remarkable time is underscored by her vast knowledge and experience in the world of running. At 51, she has triumphed in the New York Marathon three times and the Chicago Marathon once. She is also the former world record holder in the marathon, having set an astonishing time of 2:15:25 in 2003. On the track, Radcliffe captured the 10,000-meter silver medal at the 1999 World Championships and proudly became the 2002 Commonwealth champion at 5000 meters. She has also represented Great Britain at four consecutive Olympic Games from 1996 to 2008.
Alan Brazil once completed a half-marathon wearing a pair of adidas Gazelles… yes, you read that right.
A claim seemingly so far fetched it left long-distance running queen Paula Radcliffe utterly stunned.
The three-time London Marathon champion, Radcliffe, along with former British long-distance runner Chris Thompson, joined the talkSPORT Breakfast show on Friday morning.
The duo were alongside Alan Brazil and Ray Parlour to promote their new podcast, ‘Paula’s Marathon Run Club.’
During their lively conversation, Brazil recounted the unexpected tale of his half-marathon initiation.
“I was playing for Tottenham at the time. We played up North, we won, dumped the cars, and we all went to the pub when we got back,” Brazil said.
“I got a knock on the door Sunday at 6 am; it was a friend of mine.
“I said, ‘No, I’m not golfing today. My wife says it’s not golf; you’re doing the Welwyn Garden City half marathon.’
“I said, ‘You’re having a laugh, right?’ My friend insisted, ‘Come on, get out of bed; we’re raising money; you’ve got to do it.’
“All I had in the house was a pair of adidas Gazelles.”
For those who don’t know, Gazelles are hardly renowned for their support or cushy soles.
But it’s Brazil’s astonishing time that will truly leave you in awe…
“I completed the 13.1 miles and ran it in 1 hour 32 minutes. I couldn’t walk for three days,” Brazil confessed.
Radcliffe, reflecting the disbelief many of us felt, exclaimed, “You do surprise me!”
“It was a little bit different then, Paula,” Brazil explained.
Back in the 80s, it might not have been shocking to see someone running in such dubious footwear; today, of course, it’s a whole different world!
“It’s more the fact that in those shoes you managed to do that,” Radcliffe remarked, incredulously.
“If anyone tried to run a half marathon in those shoes, you would struggle the next day.”
Brazil replied, “That’s all I had, so I had to do it.”
Nowadays you’d be surprised to see Brazil running 13.1 miles, given his love for a cheeky tipple with his co-host Ray Parlour.
The 65-year-old joined Tottenham Hotspur in March 1983 for a fee of £425,000, making his mark by scoring six times in 10 appearances for the club.
In his one full season at White Hart Lane, he netted three goals in 19 games.
He also contributed four goals during Tottenham’s memorable UEFA Cup run but was unfortunately not part of the squad for the final.
Radcliffe’s genuine surprise at Brazil’s remarkable time is underscored by her vast knowledge and experience in the world of running.
At 51, she has triumphed in the New York Marathon three times and the Chicago Marathon once.
She is also the former world record holder in the marathon, having set an astonishing time of 2:15:25 in 2003.
On the track, Radcliffe captured the 10,000-meter silver medal at the 1999 World Championships and proudly became the 2002 Commonwealth champion at 5000 meters.
She has also represented Great Britain at four consecutive Olympic Games from 1996 to 2008.
