Experts in Sport podcast: In conversation with alumna Paula Radcliffe MBE

With athletes set to compete in the marathon events in Paris this weekend, who better to speak to than one of Britain’s greatest long-distance runners, Paula Radcliffe MBE?

Paula Radcliffe standing wearing athletic clothing
Image: Will Palmer

In the latest episode of the Experts in Sport podcast Host Martin Foster (Applied Sport Management Lead) chats to alumna Paula to discover what it’s like preparing to compete on the global stage.  

Radcliffe MBE, a world-renowned athlete and former Women’s Marathon record holder also discusses how preparation and support has changed for sportspeople including insight into her different experiences at major competitions. 

Paula is a former Sports Personality of the Year, a three-time winner of the London Marathon (2002, 2003, 2005), three-time winner of the New York Marathon (2004, 2007, 2008), and the 2002 Chicago Marathon winner. 

She graduated from Loughborough in 1996 with a first-class degree in Modern European Studies and headed out to her first games in Atlanta, USA, in the same year.  

During the podcast, Paula talks about what her goals were as an athlete and a student, how she managed these two major parts of her daily life, and how she worked hard to achieve in sport and in the classroom.  

As well as sharing some Loughborough anecdotes, Paula talks openly about her personal experiences with menstruation and pregnancy as an athlete as well as what it was like going back to sport after giving birth. 

Throughout the episode, Paula also discusses competitiveness, friendships, motivations, coaches, and meeting Gary – the man who would become her husband – at Loughborough. 

She also shares how her passion for getting people active is translating into life as a retired athlete.

Listeners of the podcast can subscribe and download the latest episode by visiting iTunes, Spotify, and TuneIn. All subscribers will receive an alert once new episodes are published. 

The Experts in Sport podcast is a regular series that brings together experts from across Loughborough University with external thought leaders to discuss the latest research and hot topics in sport and academia with new episodes launched regularly. 

As we celebrate Loughborough athletes and coaches, our alumni spotlights are honing in on some of our former students and staff who have also competed on the global stage. Find out more on the Loughborough athletes on the global stage website or by checking out #Lboro2Paris on social media.