Arjen Robben beats Michael Owen’s marathon time by 45 minutes with stunning effort
Arjen Robben hasn’t lost his lightning-quick speed after completing the Rotterdam Marathon in under three hours.
Robben clocked 2:58 – averaging just over 20 minutes for every 5km, a time most current footballers would be over the moon with. And Robben’s time was almost an hour quicker than the 3:45 fellow speedster Michael Owen clocked at the 2014 London Marathon.
After completing the marathon, Owen said: “What I’ve trained for all my life is speed and power, so doing this type of training was a real challenge.” Robben would have faced the same challenges, and fans were quick to praise the Dutchman, but couldn’t help a jibe.
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One fan joked: “He would have finished in 2 hours but he kept cutting left when the route is heading right – as reported by a fan at the scene!”
“That’s an impressive time! Very different type of endurance from soccer,” a second added. While a third tweeted: “How is it possible for someone to run for 3 hours straight? I will never understand marathon runners.”
“Would have done it under 2 hours if he didn’t keep falling over when felt the slightest nudge,” a fourth joked. And another added: “Some pace … on and off the field. Testament to his mentality!”
What do you think of Arjen Robben’s time at the Rotterdam Marathon? Let us know in the comments section below
(Image: BT Sports)
Robben retired in 2021, following a brief return to his boyhood side Groningen. The 39-year-old had already retired in 2019, but he returned to the game to help his first club with their post-Covid problems.
It wasn’t a fairytale return for Robben, and he only managed six appearances in the Dutch top flight – without finding the net – hanging up his boots after one season back in football.
He released a short statement: “Dear football friends, I have decided to stop my active football career. A very difficult choice. I want to thank everyone for all the heartwarming support! Regards, Arjen.”
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