Former Arsenal Star Aaron Ramsey Runs London Marathon in Just Over Three Hours
Former Arsenal captain Aaron Ramsey has marked his retirement from football with an extraordinary achievement, completing the London Marathon in just over three hours.
The 35-year-old midfielder, who announced his retirement earlier this month, joined 59,000 runners on Sunday and crossed the finish line in 3:00:30. Ramsey ran the first half in 1:23:11 and maintained a pace of 6 minutes 53 seconds per mile in his final split.
Ramsey, who made 262 appearances (81 as a substitute) for Arsenal, scoring 40 goals and providing 46 assists, was running in aid of It’s Never You, a charity founded by his friends Ceri and Frances Menai-Davis after their six-year-old son Hugh died from rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare cancer.
Speaking to BBC Sport ahead of the race, Ramsey admitted the transition from football to marathon training had been tough but rewarding.
‘Training’s been difficult, when the rain’s coming down and it’s wet and windy, and it can be quite a lonely place sometimes. But actually, I’ve enjoyed it in a weird way, being in the trenches a little bit,’ he said.
He explained why the charity was so important to him: ‘As a charity, [It’s Never You] is really close to my heart. I know Ceri and Fran and their family. I knew Hugh very well. My eldest boy, Sonny, is a similar age and they used to play with each other. I can’t imagine what they went through and what they are going through, but they’ve been an absolute inspiration to me, my family and many others.’
