Former England midfielder James Milner completed the New York Marathon in three hours, nine minutes and four seconds on Sunday in his first race over the 26.2-mile distance.
The 40-year-old retired from professional football at the end of last season after finishing his playing career with Brighton and Hove Albion. He swapped his football boots for running shoes at the weekend to make his marathon debut after preparing with an artificial intelligence training programme.
Milner ran the event to raise money for the James Milner Foundation. His charitable organisation has previously raised more than £1.3 million for good causes across the United Kingdom, including the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), which works to protect children from abuse, and Help for Heroes, a charity supporting British Armed Forces veterans and service personnel.
The New York Marathon is one of the six annual World Marathon Majors alongside races in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin and Chicago. Its course runs through all five boroughs of New York City from Staten Island to a finish line in Manhattan's Central Park.
Artificial intelligence marathon training plan
Speaking to Let's Run ahead of the race, Milner explained that he relied on artificial intelligence, commonly known as AI, as his main training tool while building up his endurance for the race.
Asked about the longest training run he completed before travelling to New York, Milner told Let's Run: "Longest I've done is just over 32 kilometers. I hit 30 another couple of times, and then just used AI really for a training program."
"That's how it started, yeah. I know a few other people and stuff, but yeah, just bounced things off that really and went from there," Milner added.
In marathon preparation, a peak run of 32 kilometres equates to roughly 20 miles, which is the standard maximum distance distance runners cover in a single training session before tapering ahead of the full 26.2-mile race.
Life after Premier League retirement
Preparing for the marathon gave the former midfielder a clear physical target during his first months away from professional sport. Milner said the daily routine of training helped him adjust to retirement after two and a half decades in senior football.
"But fitness has always been a big part of my life, and I feel I've always been goal-orientated. I think I'd find it hard to not have a goal to train for, and I think this has been really important for me in terms of retiring and having something to aim for and training and still having that importance," Milner said.
He kept up that strict schedule even while away on holiday after finishing his playing career.
"Even when I was on holiday, [it was like] look, I need to get up and train for this. I need to eat the right things because I've got this run in the morning. I've lived that for 25 years. It's important for me to keep that going, and I feel very fortunate to be part of the New York Marathon. It's such a special city every time you're here," he explained.
James Milner Premier League record and career honours
Milner holds the all-time record for the most appearances in the Premier League, the top division of English men's football, having played 658 matches across his top-flight career. He surpassed the previous benchmark set by his former Aston Villa and Manchester City teammate Gareth Barry.
Over a 25-year senior career, Milner represented Leeds United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion, and also spent a period on loan at Swindon Town. On the international stage, he earned 61 senior caps for England.
He won 11 major honours before retiring, lifting the Premier League trophy twice with Manchester City before winning a third league title and the 2018-19 UEFA Champions League, European club football's top competition, during his spell at Liverpool.
It remains unclear whether Milner, who turns 41 in January, will sign up for another marathon after completing the New York course. Speaking ahead of Sunday's race about his future plans, he said: "I'll either love it and have the bug and want to tick off loads of marathons, or maybe I'll hate it, never want to do another and maybe go to some triathlons or something else."
