Michalis Kalomiris, who works at an Athens law firm and says he is an ‘amateur training at sub-elite level,’ only discovered that finishing in the top 10 of the Rome Marathon in 2015 would send him to Rio when he saw his name listed on an athletics website.

‘You find a way’

Mr Kalomiris told ekathimerini.com that he runs at a sports centre after work or wakes up early in the morning to get some training in and always takes his running shoes with him when he appears in court outside Athens. ‘When you really like something a lot, you find a way of fitting it into your life,’ he said.

‘The dream of participation’

The lawyer knows he isn’t at the level of professional runners, having qualified with a time of 2 hours 29 minutes when some of the pros manage just over 2 hours, but he says it’s all about the ‘dream of participation.’ He will race on 21 August.