Former Wales captain and Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has completed the London Marathon in an impressive time, just weeks after announcing his retirement from football.
Aaron Ramsey sets a good time at the London Marathon (Image: BBC)
Arsenal legend Aaron Ramsey completed the London Marathon in an incredible time, crossing the finish line in just over three hours.
The 35-year-old former Wales captain, who announced his retirement from football earlier this month, lined up with 59,000 fellow runners on Sunday to complete the world-famous race in 3 hours 0 minutes 30 seconds. He completed the first half in 1:23:11 and maintained a pace of 6:53 per mile in the final split.
Ramsay was taking part in the marathon to raise money for It’s Never You, a charity set up by friends Ceri Menai-Davies and Frances Menai-Davies following the death of their six-year-old son Hugh, who died from a rare form of cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, Wales Online reports.
In an interview with BBC Sport ahead of the race, Ramsey said he was “excited” to switch from soccer cleats to running shoes, adding: “It’s been raining, wet and windy so it’s been tough training. It can be a very lonely place at times, but I’m actually enjoying being in the trenches a little bit and having fun in a weird way.”
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“As a charity,[It’s Never You]is very close to my heart. I know Ceri and Fran and their families. I knew Hugh very well. My eldest son Sonny is a similar age and we used to play together.
“I can’t imagine what they’ve been through and what they’re going through right now, but they’ve been an absolute inspiration to me, my family, and so many others.”
Ramsey’s time put her ahead of Wicked actress Cynthia Erivo, who finished in 3 hours 21 minutes 40 seconds, as well as former tennis player Laura Robson (3 hours 28 minutes 16 seconds) and newsreader Sophie Roworth (3 hours 36 minutes 35 seconds). He also crossed the line just behind former Derby County, Burnley and Manchester United goalkeeper Lee Grant, beating him by just three seconds.
However, the former Juventus midfielder narrowly lost out to former F1 star Sebastian Vettel, who completed the marathon in an incredible time of 2:59:08.
Aaron Ramsey retired from football earlier this month (Image: Michael Steele, Getty Images)
The Welshman’s latest feat comes less than three weeks after he announced his retirement from football, ending his illustrious career after not kicking a ball for more than six months.
Ramsey had previously expressed a desire to represent Wales at this summer’s World Cup if they qualified, but he chose to step away from the game after those hopes were extinguished in defeat to Bosnia last month.
“This was not an easy decision,” he said in a statement. “After much consideration, I have decided to retire from football.
“I want to start with Wales. It has been my privilege to wear the Wales shirt and experience so many great moments in it. It would not have been possible without the great support of all the managers I have played with and all the staff who have helped me in so many ways.”
“To the Red Wall. You’ve been there through thick and thin! You’ve been there through good and bad, and you’ve been an essential and essential part of our success. We can’t thank you enough. We’ve been through it all together, and it was an honor to represent you, Diork.”
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