Robben runs marathon sub3
"Fantastic. Finally, I did it," Robben said in a gasp after the finish line of the race on April 16, when he reached the sub3 goal that he pursued.
According to the tracklog recorded by the organizers, the former Dutch striker ran faster in the first half, maintaining the pace from 4:08 (4 minutes 8 seconds per kilometer) to 4:15 and reached 21,097 kilometers in 1 hour 27 minutes. 53 seconds. He kept pace at 4:14 when passing the 25 and 30km milestones, then slowed down a bit with 4:22 pace when reaching the 40km mark.
Robben completed the last 2,195 km with a pace of 4:19, to reach the finish line with a parameter of 2 hours 58 minutes 33 seconds, ie 4:14 pace for the whole distance. This achievement puts the 39-year-old former player in 1189th place overall in 16,837 runners in the marathon, 1130th in 12,980 male athletes. In the age group of men over 35, Robben ranked 260th in 1872 runners.
Running a sub3 marathon (under 3 hours) is considered a difficult milestone for most amateur runners. The latest achievement recognizes Robben's remarkable progress after just one year of playing the marathon. Compared to the same period last year, when he first completed the 42.195km distance with 3 hours 13 minutes 56 seconds also at the Rotterdam Marathon on April 10, this year, Robben was nearly 18 minutes faster.
"I'm only used to sprinting, so the 42.195km distance is really long. But I love sports and want to conquer challenges. My friend Erben Wennemars once said that once an athlete is an athlete, always an athlete. I don't. I'm still playing at the top, but I can tell everyone that running a sub3 marathon is top notch," Robben told NOS television.
Erben Wennemars, 47 years old is a former Dutch figure skater. At the Rotterdam Marathon last year, he accompanied and encouraged Robben to finish the first 42.195km race. Yesterday, Wennemars was not present, but his inspiration remains a driving force for the former Bayern striker on the run.
"Someone says it's crazy to run a marathon. But to me, the feeling of conquering a sub3 marathon is as great as winning a football title," Robben added.
Robben was once one of the best wingers in the world, and became the fastest player in the world with a speed of 37km/h when racing with midfielder Sergio Ramos in the Netherlands' 5-1 win over Spain A year earlier, FIFA confirmed that Arsenal player Theo Walcott ran the fastest in the world with a speed of 35.7 km/h.
