Aaron Ramsey, the former Arsenal and Wales midfielder, completed the London Marathon in a remarkable time of 3:00:30 on Sunday, just weeks after announcing his retirement from professional football.
The 35-year-old, who retired earlier this month, ran the first half in 1:23:11 and maintained a pace of 6 minutes 53 seconds per mile. He finished ahead of celebrities including actress Cynthia Erivo and former tennis player Laura Robson, but was narrowly beaten by ex-Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel, who finished in 2:59:08.
Ramsey ran to raise money for It's Never You, a charity set up by friends Ceri and Frances Menai-Davis after the death of their six-year-old son Hugh from a rare cancer. Speaking to BBC Sport, Ramsey said the charity is "really close to my heart" and that training had been "difficult" but "enjoyable in a weird way".
The Welshman's marathon feat comes less than three weeks after he ended his playing career, having not played for over six months. He cited Wales' failure to qualify for the World Cup as a factor in his decision, saying in a statement: "This has not been an easy decision to make."
