Former Leeds United, Manchester City and Liverpool midfielder James Milner has added another remarkable achievement to his CV, completing the 2026 New York City Marathon in a seriously impressive time.

The former England international has always been something of a fitness fanatic, maintaining extraordinary standards throughout a career that saw him clock up more Premier League appearances than anyone else.

But where does his reported time of 3:09:04 put him among the quickest marathon-running footballers? We’ve compiled a list of 32 former professionals who’ve taken on the challenge, with some unexpected names making the cut.

Among those in the list are Champions League winners, Premier League stalwarts and some of the biggest names in European football. But the fastest is a legendary figure who has since become one of the world’s leading managers.

Credit to Famous PRs for compiling the data:

32. Leonardo Bonucci – London Marathon 2025 – 5:02:09|
31. John Terry – London Marathon 2025 – 5:00:43
30. Jody Morris – London Marathon 2025 – 5:00:43
29. Dejon Noel-Williams – London Marathon 2026 – 4:56:11
28. Mark Bright – London Marathon 2007 – 4:55:1727.
27. Steve Sidwell – London Marathon 2025 – 4:50:28
26. Lee Hendrie – London Marathon 2015 – 4:43:45
25. Felix Kroos – Berlin Marathon 2025 – 4:28:23
24. Edwin van der Sar – New York City Marathon 2011 – 4:19:16
23. Stephen Warnock – Virtual London Marathon 2020 – 4:17:09
22. Quinton Fortune – London Marathon 2017 – 4:06:29
21. Giuseppe Bergomi – New York City Marathon 2009 – 3:59:35
20. Lee Young-pyo – Seoul Marathon 2024 – 3:57:11
19. Tsuyoshi Kitazawa – Tokyo Marathon 2017 – 3:52:31
18. Pavel Nedved – Prague Marathon 2012 – 3:49:51
17. Gary Speed – London Marathon 2010 – 3:49:22
16. Michael Owen – London Marathon 2014 – 3:45:43
15. Kevin Kilbane – London Marathon 2015 – 3:38:58
14. Gary Rowett – London Marathon 2025 – 3:38:38
13. Kaka – Berlin Marathon 2022 – 3:38:06
12. Dwight Yorke – London Marathon 2011 – 3:31:56
11. Diego Ribas – Berlin Marathon 2025 – 3:31:52
10. Raul – New York City Marathon 2016 – 3:26:05
9. Andre Schurrle – Berlin Marathon 2025 – 3:21:25
8. Alvaro Arbeloa – Valencia Marathon 2019 – 3:15:21
7. Danny Mills – London Marathon 2023 – 3:12:18
6. James Milner – New York City Marathon 2026 – 3:09:04

So Milner’s time puts him above some pretty distinguished company, but there are five former footballers who have managed to go quicker.

The remaining five have all posted times that would be the envy of most amateur runners, with two even managing to break the elusive three-hour mark. There’s very little to separate the top four:

5. Christian Dailly – London Marathon 2013 – 3:06:26

Not trying to step on Football Cliches‘ turf, but Christian Dailly is the name of a long-distance Olympian, not a Barclays-era stalwart. So this makes sense.

The former Scotland international had called time on a 22-year playing career in 2012, but wasn’t quite ready to put his sporting ambitions to bed. Instead, he turned his attention to athletics, becoming a coach and studying sports science at Manchester Metropolitan University.

In an interview with The Scotsman ahead of his first London Marathon in 2013, Dailly explained that he was more naturally suited to shorter, sharper events such as the 800m. He nevertheless had his sights set on a sub-three-hour marathon.

“You’re talking about someone who has had 22 years of football training and seven knee operations,” he said.

He ultimately finished in 3:06:26, just over six minutes outside his target. Not bad for a first attempt

4. Lee Grant – London Marathon 2026 – 3:00:33

You wouldn’t necessarily associate Grant with long-distance running, given he spent much of his career as a back-up, or latterly third-choice at Manchester United.

More accustomed to warming the bench than pounding the pavements? Apparently not.

Finishing just 33 seconds off the hallowed sub-three hours must’ve been a sickener, but at least he could console himself by comfortably beating Daddy Pig (5:51:53), Joe Wicks (5:51:54) and fellow journeyman keeper Darren Randolph (7:36:27).

3. Aaron Ramsey – London Marathon 2026 – 3:00:30

A particularly impressive effort given the injury troubles that dogged his playing career. Ramsey completed the London Marathon in 3:00:30, three seconds quicker than Grant.

Only three celebrities went quicker: former Olympic cyclist Chris Newton (2:34:42), boxing trainer Shane McGuigan (2:44:51) and four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel (2:59:08).

Ramsey retired from football the same month, aged 35, after a trophy-laden career with Arsenal, Juventus and Wales. He went straight into coaching, and is currently serving as the head coach of League One side Oxford United.

2. Arjen Robben – Rotterdam Marathon 2023 – 2:58:33

Dailly has the name of a marathon runner, Robben has the physique of one. He’s looked like a distance runner throughout his life, but even he admitted that 26.2 miles is a different proposition than sprinting up and down the wing.

“I am really broken, but I made it,” he told NOS after making the finish line.

“For a sprinter like me, such a distance is very long. But I love sports and I love a challenge.”

He had been training alongside former Dutch speed skater Erben Wennemars, who doubled up as his unofficial running coach and sports psychologist.

“Wennemars always says: once an athlete, always an athlete,” he added.

“I am no longer a top athlete, but I can tell you; I think it is elite sport if you can run a marathon in three hours.

“This comes very close to winning a great football title. Now I can check this off. I’m really happy.”

1. Luis Enrique – Florence Marathon 2007 – 2:58:08

There are people who enjoy keeping fit, and then there’s Luis Enrique. The PSG manager is an absolute endurance nut, seemingly incapable of encountering a physical challenge without wanting to go all-in. Long-distance cycling is a particular passion, but he’s not afraid of mixing things up.

He competed in the notorious Marathon des Sables in 2008, running 155km across the Sahara over six days, and has also completed the Frankfurt Ironman: a 3.8km swim, 189km cycle and 42.2km marathon.

You’d imagine a sub-three-hour marathon barely registers on Luis Enrique’s personal difficulty scale. We’d have been disappointed if he hadn’t topped this particular leaderboard.

It’s an attitude that carries over into his coaching. Luis Enrique is famously demanding, expecting his players to push themselves to their physical and mental limits. His PSG side have won back-to-back European titles by embodying precisely those principles, with every player expected to work hard, sacrifice and run their b*llocks off.