9 Ex-Footballers That Ran 2025 London Marathon And How Fast They Completed It

Thousands of people travelled to England’s capital, London, on Sunday to witness one of the country’s greatest events: the London Marathon. But how did nine former footballers – including John Terry and Jack Wilshere – get on in the scorching heat?

An incredible achievement for those who took part, some spectators took up the art of celebrity-spotting – and there were a handful of former footballers that were seen running alongside thousands of runners past some of London’s biggest landmarks.

From a plethora of personal best running times to a Guinness World Record being beaten – courtesy of David Wetherill, who finished the fastest marathon on crutches (male) in 5:59:05 – how did the nine ex-footballers perform?

The likes of Steve Sidwell and Leonardo Bonucci ran the 26.2 miler

Terry, as mentioned, was among the participants. The former defender – widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Premier League history – ran alongside his pal, Jody Morris, and the pair finished with a time of 5:00:43.

Pictured alongside one another, the two ex-Chelsea men – who played 47 times together for the west Londoners – were running in aid of Rays of Sunshine, a children’s charity that supports and grants wishes for seriously ill children aged three to 18.

Steve Sidwell, formerly of Chelsea and Reading, ran for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and completed the 26.2 miles in a time of 4:50:28. Also running for BHF was Wilshere, who racked up just shy of 200 appearances for Arsenal between 2008 and 2018.

The quickest of all ex-professional footballers was Danny Mills, who finished with a more-than-impressive time of 3:16:07 as the father of middle-distance runner George, a silver medal winner for Great Britain in the 5000m at the European Championships last year.

A serial winner with Juventus during his career, Leonardo Bonucci returned to the English capital – four years after winning Euro 2020 – to take on the London Marathon. Supporting Young Lives vs Cancer, the Italian finished in 5:02:09.

Having retired in the summer of 2024, glovesman Darren Randolph has kept on top of his fitness and, as a result, he also ran. Alongside his fiancee and famous popstar Alexandra Burke, the Diabetes UK ambassador finished with a time of 6:34:56.

Taking part in the fifth London Marathon of his life, current Oxford United boss Gary Rowett – who played for the likes of Everton and Birmingham City in his playing days – finished with a time of 3:38:38 as the second-fastest runner on this list.

Natasha Dowie, who turned out for Liverpool Women and England during her career, also took part in the gruelling race, finishing with a time of 4:11:59, while the aforementioned Wilshere completed the London-based course in 5:04:33.

All times per TCS London Marathon – correct as of 29/04/2025