The UK’s greatest ever all-round athlete will be making an appearance in Durham next month, 40 years after winning his second Olympic gold medal. Decathlete Daley Thompson will be guest of honour at a special screening of a new documentary about his career, which will launch this year’s Durham City Run Festival. The event will take place at the Gala Theatre on the eve of the three day festival of running (17 July).

Daley Thompson is one of the country’s greatest ever sportspeople, and also one of the world’s best ever decathletes. He won successive Olympic gold medals, at Moscow in 1980 and Los Angeles in 1984, broke the decathlon world record four times, and at one point was unbeaten in competition for nine years. The event at the Gala Theatre on Wednesday 17 July will be hosted by fellow athletics legend Steve Cram, who won a silver medal in the 1500m at Los Angeles, and is founder of the Durham City Run Festival.

The centrepiece of the evening will be the screening of ‘Daley Thompson – Olympic superstar’, a new documentary about Daley’s career. After the film, Steve will hold a ‘fireside chat’ with Daley, together offering more insights into the Los Angeles games and their careers in athletics.

Based in the heart of the city, the Durham City Run Festival will run from 18-20 July and will once again feature the popular Durham City Run 5K and 10K races, the Run Like A Legend Mile challenge, XO urban orienteering, and Paula Radcliffe’s Families on Track initiative that gives family groups the opportunity to complete a 10K distance in a continuous relay, having fun while exercising together.

Steve Cram comments: “I’m really looking forward to welcoming Daley to help us kick off the Durham City Run Festival. He’s one of my oldest and best friends in sport, and he also happens to be one of the greatest athletes that the world has seen. It’s not before time that a film has been made about his life and career. Knowing Daley as I do, our chat afterwards will be lively and entertaining too. Everyone who attends is in for a real treat.”

Tickets for ‘An evening with Daley Thompson’ cost £7 each and are available at the Gala Durham website.

If you'd like to know more about Durham City Run Festival, visit the website here.

Image: Events of the North