James Milner's Marathon Triumph: Can Any Footballer Top His Time?

It’s no shock to those in the know that James Milner spent his early retirement gearing up for the New York City Marathon. The former Brighton, Liverpool, and Manchester City legend clocked an impressive 3 hours, 9 minutes, and 4 seconds, averaging 7 minutes and 13 seconds per mile. Not bad for a 40-year-old who looks more like a wrestler than a runner! Milner even mused, "A few years ago, I feel like I could have definitely done sub-3:00," attributing his slower time to the injuries he battled in his later career. Back in 2012, we published a piece on the fastest marathon times recorded by footballers, with ex-Leicester star Muzzy Izzet leading the charge at 3 hours, 22 minutes, and 36 seconds during the 2011 London Marathon. That time has now been eclipsed by Milner, the all-time Premier League appearances record holder. So, we figured it was time to grab our isotonic drinks and explore more stories of footballers who dare to tackle the marathon distance. In recent years, Izzet has dropped to 12th place, just behind German international André Schürrle, who finished the Berlin Marathon in 3 hours, 21 minutes, and 25 seconds last year. But Schürrle wasn’t done with challenges; this year, he took on the grueling 167.7-mile Marathon des Sables, finishing in 51 hours, 41 minutes, placing 675th overall. Meanwhile, the fastest marathon time for a female footballer remains with Lauren Holiday, who completed it in 3 hours, 40 minutes, and 30 seconds, closely followed by her USWNT pals Leslie Osborne and Abby Wambach. Fulham's manager, Álvaro Arbeloa, checks in at 11th overall with a time of 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 21 seconds from the 2019 Valencia Marathon. Kevin Kilbane, who always had the look of a marathon runner, is just ahead at 10th with 3 hours, 14 minutes, and 44 seconds in London back in 2013. Hats off to Danny Mills, father of Olympic runner George Mills, who managed a solid 3 hours, 12 minutes, and 18 seconds in the 2023 London Marathon at the age of 45. Milner's time places him in a respectable eighth position among football's marathon runners. Christian Dailly, a former defender for Dundee United and West Ham, recorded a commendable 3 hours, 6 minutes, and 26 seconds at the 2013 London Marathon. Reflecting on his time, Dailly said, "In 1990, I went from boys’ football in May to my Dundee United debut in August. We’d be down at the beach... when I got to pre-season at Dundee United, I was flying." After retiring, he transitioned into athletics coaching. Surprisingly, goalkeeper Lee Grant also made waves this year, racing through London in an impressive 3 hours, 0 minutes, and 33 seconds. Now we approach the elite sub-three-hour marathon territory, a coveted club of just five. Real Madrid icon Raúl González completed his home marathon in 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 22 seconds in 2019, expressing his joy: "It was only the second marathon of my life. I wanted to break three hours, and I’m very happy with what I’ve accomplished." Aaron Ramsey, now managing Oxford United, showcased his youthful energy by finishing the Stockholm Marathon in 2 hours, 59 minutes this summer. Arjen Robben, known for his speed on the pitch, combined his quickness with endurance to finish the Rotterdam Marathon in 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 33 seconds. Luis Enrique also proved his mettle, completing the Florence Marathon in 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 8 seconds, and has continued to stay fit through Ironman events and ultramarathons. However, the title of the fastest former footballer in marathon history belongs to Alexei Smertin. The ex-Chelsea and Russian international took up endurance running post-retirement and achieved a remarkable 2 hours, 48 minutes, and 17 seconds at the Kazan Marathon in 2020, when he was 45 years old. That’s an astonishing pace of 6 minutes and 25 seconds per mile! Smertin has shifted his focus to longer events but believes he still has a few fast marathons left in him, stating, "I thought I’d never be able to improve my personal best... but I have a few more years to improve my speed."