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James Milner at the New York City Marathon on Nov. 1, 2026. Photo by NYRR |
Official data from the New York Road Runners (NYRR) tracking app shows that Milner maintained a pace of 4 minutes and 29 seconds per km over the 42.195km course. This performance helped him break the sub-3:10 mark (under 3 hours and 10 minutes) on Nov. 1.
The former Liverpool and Manchester City midfielder took on the new challenge just months after concluding his professional football career. He participated in the marathon to support a charity fund named after him.
In an interview with LetsRun on Oct. 30, Milner revealed that he suffered severe nerve damage following knee surgery about two years ago, which left him unable to lift his foot for six months.
Because of that, he did not place too much pressure on himself regarding his finishing time in New York. While he noted that a sub-3 marathon might have been an achievable goal a few years ago, his primary focus for this race was simply to enjoy and cross the finish line.
To prepare for the run, he trained three to four times a week, using AI to help develop his training routine. His longest training run covered 32.24 km in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 16 seconds.
The greatest challenge for Milner was increasing his mileage without sustaining new injuries. He had to carefully transition from the high-intensity, multi-directional movements on the football pitch to long-distance endurance running.
Milner began his professional football career at Leeds United, rising through the youth academy to make his Premier League debut in 2002 at the age of 16 years and 356 days. Over the course of his career, the 40-year-old went on to feature for five other top-flight clubs: Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion.
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James Milner celebrates during Brighton’s match against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, England, on March 14, 2026. Photo by Reuters |
He holds the record for the most Premier League appearances with 658 games, as well as the longest continuous career in the league spanning 24 years before his retirement in the summer of 2026.
Throughout his career of over 20 years, Milner amassed a decorated collection of titles. During his time at Manchester City, he won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a League Cup. With Liverpool, he secured another Premier League title, an FA Cup, a League Cup and the 2019 UEFA Champions League.
Additionally, he earned 61 caps for the England national team, representing his country in two Euros and two World Cup tournaments.
Milner also possessed a strong background in track and field from a young age. He recounts winning the Leeds schools cross-country championship for consecutive years and was even advised by a youth coach to focus on running rather than football.
After a long and successful football career, Milner has now returned to that childhood passion on the streets of New York.
The New York City Marathon was established in 1970 with 127 participants and 55 finishers running within the Central Park. Since 1976, the race has expanded to span all five of the city’s boroughs: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx. The legendary marathon draws over two million spectators along the route, with 2026 officially marking 50 years since the establishment of the iconic five-borough course.