Arjen Robben completes Rotterdam Marathon in less than three hours

The 39-year-old, who retired from football in 2021, shaved more than 15 minutes off his previous best set at the same race in 2022.

"I am no longer an elite athlete, but I can tell you: I think it is elite to run a marathon in under three hours. This is very close to winning a major football title," he said after finishing the race.

The Dutch icon had previously competed in the Rotterdam Marathon in 2022, finishing in 3 hours, 13 minutes, and 40 seconds.

However, he was determined to improve on that time this year and did so emphatically.

On that occasion, he admitted to having suffered from various issues throughout, stating after the 2022 race: "I realised very quickly that it really wasn't my day. At one point I had to stop because I had cramps and then I had to start again.

"After 30 kilometres you don't enjoy it any more. It's hell," he explained.

"For a sprinter like me, this distance is very long. But I like the sport and the challenges. Some people call you crazy," he said after finishing this year's 42-kilometre marathon, with an average of 4:14 minutes per km.

Robben, who played for Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich during his illustrious career, finished 1,189th overall, 1,130th among the men and 260th in his category.

Belgian Bashir Abdi ran out as the overall race winner, clocking a time of 2:03:47.