September 22, 2025, 10:07 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Anyone who ran the Berlin Marathon on Sunday or cheered on the runners from the sidelines might have spotted a celebrity or two. One of the marathon participants was soccer star Diego Ribas, a former Bundesliga and Brazilian national team player. Here’s the time he achieved and what he shared on social media about his training.
Diego Ribas is an enthusiastic Berlin Marathon runner. This is evident from a series of stories and posts on his Instagram account–including snapshots with a medal after the run in front of the East Side Gallery wall. He had previously announced his participation there and eagerly anticipated his first 42-kilometer run. A look at the results list shows: Diego Ribas crossed the finish line in 3 hours, 31 minutes, and 52 seconds. A time that is impressive for a first-time marathon runner! A 2024 analysis revealed that only 30 percent of runners complete a marathon in under four hours (FITBOOK reported).1 Incidentally, the best age to run a marathon is late 20s.2 Diego Ribas is 40 years old, so his running time is even more commendable.
Running on the Beach, in the City, and on the Treadmill
“Just a few hours left until this great challenge, the Berlin Marathon, where I will run 42 km for the first time,” Diego Ribas wrote in a reel he posted shortly before the big event. A series of clips shows how well the former soccer player prepared for the challenge. From treadmill training to running sessions in various terrains and weather conditions, including with a weighted vest, the 40-year-old left nothing to chance. He is seen training on the beach, in hot weather, in the city, on the treadmill, and finally in Berlin–recognizable by the Holocaust Memorial in the background.
Mission Accomplished
The marathon time shows: Diego Ribas did a lot right in his preparation. And he himself is absolutely satisfied with his achievement. At least that’s the impression given by a post he published after the marathon. The caption reads: “Mission Berlin successfully completed! It’s a unique and very special feeling to run 42 km through the streets of this country that I love and that is part of my history.”
The Brazilian, who was part of the Seleção, the Brazilian national team, from 2003 to 2017, also played in the German Bundesliga. Initially, he was on the field for Werder Bremen from 2006 to 2009, and from 2010 to 2014, he was under contract with VfL Wolfsburg.
Diego Ribas Previously Completed Ironman
The marathon wasn’t the only major endurance challenge Diego Ribas successfully tackled this year. As several posts on his Instagram account show, the Brazilian participated in an Ironman in Rio de Janeiro in August.
André Schürrle on His Latest Extreme Run: “That Was the Longest I’ve Managed So Far”
Pop Star Harry Styles (31) Runs the Tokyo Marathon in an Amazing Time
Soccer Players Who Run Marathons
As a soccer player who has run a marathon, Diego Ribas is in good company. Recently, the Dutchman Arjen Robben and Ribas’ national team colleague Kaká have appeared as marathon runners. The latter also in Berlin.
And a former German soccer star has also discovered long-distance running for himself: André Schürrle. He first ran the Berlin Half Marathon in spring 2024. His time: 1 hour and 41 minutes. Yesterday, he also took on the marathon in the capital, which he completed in 03:21:25 according to the official results list. This makes him one of the very fast amateur marathon runners.
Soccer Players Aren’t Automatically Good Long-Distance Runners
In an interview with FITBOOK, Schürrle revealed beforehand that it’s a misconception to think soccer players are automatically good long-distance runners. He emphasized that soccer and running are two different worlds–at least for him personally. “The two sports worlds are really far apart. There are certainly some soccer players who love to run. These are often those who play in positions where endurance runs are more in demand than sprints, meaning they are indeed runners,” he said. “But for me, it was about sprinting a lot, it was about short distances. Running now is a completely different game. It engages entirely different muscle groups, especially now for half-marathons or marathons. Running 10, 20, or even 30 kilometers–as a soccer player, you usually have nothing to do with that. That’s why it’s something completely new, and that’s also the reason why I’m doing it.”