James Milner’s Marathon Debut: How Fast Can the Premier League’s Iron Man Run?

James Milner is taking on the New York City Marathon. The Premier League’s all-time appearance record holder joins Jonathan Gault to discuss his first marathon, using AI to help plan his training, and Liverpool’s brutal workouts under Jürgen Klopp.

Milner explains how he’s adapted from football to distance running, completed a longest run of just over 32 kilometers, and settled on his race strategy. He also details Liverpool’s famous preseason lactate test, which he says he never lost.

Plus, Milner shares how a knee operation two years ago left him unable to lift his foot for six months, making simply finishing the marathon meaningful. He’s running for the James Milner Foundation, which has raised around £1.3 million for causes including NSPCC and Help for Heroes.

You can donate to the foundation here: justgiving.com/charity/jamesmilnerfoundation

More NYC Marathon coverage: letsrun.com/events/2026/11/2026-new-york-city-marathon

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00:00 Start
00:42 Marathon Training and Preparation
03:10 Race Strategy and the Knee Injury That Almost Ended It All
04:34 Milner's Athletics Background
06:26 The Fittest Players in Football
07:58 Inside Liverpool's Pre-Season and the Famous Lactate Test
10:44 Staying Fit as an Aging Footballer
12:05 Fueling in Football vs. Marathon Running
15:34 Life After Football and the NYC Marathon
17:02 The James Milner Foundation
18:20 Man City vs. Brighton Prediction

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