James Milner Completes New York City Marathon in Just Over Three Hours with AI-Guided Training

Just months after officially hanging up his football boots, James Milner proved he remains in peak physical condition. On Sunday, the former England midfielder completed his first full marathon in New York, clocking an impressive time.

The 40-year-old veteran covered the 42.2-kilometre distance in 3 hours, 9 minutes, and 4 seconds. Milner ran to support his charity, the James Milner Foundation, which has raised over £1.3 million to date for various causes, including the NSPCC and Help for Heroes.

Ahead of the race, the former Premier League star revealed the unconventional method behind his preparations: a specialised artificial intelligence programme.

"My longest run before the race was just over 32 kilometres. I did a couple of 30k runs as well, using AI for my training plan the entire time," Milner told Let's Run.

The Premier League's all-time record appearance holder with 658 matches admitted that taking on a new sporting challenge helped ease his transition away from professional football.

"Sport and fitness have always been a huge part of my daily routine. I've always needed a clear goal, so after retiring it was vital to channel my energy into something specific. Even while on holiday, I knew I had to get up early and eat properly because I had a morning run scheduled. I lived that way for 25 years, and keeping that rhythm was really important to me," he added.

Milner, who turns 41 in January, remains unsure whether he will continue with marathon running, hinting he might test himself in triathlons in the future.

His storied playing career concluded last season at Brighton, having previously represented Leeds United, Swindon Town, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Liverpool. At club level, he lifted 11 major trophies—including Premier League titles and the Champions League—and earned 61 caps for England.