Last year we passed along the word that Alan Faneca, the former NFL offensive lineman who once tipped the scales at well over 300 pounds, had lost 100 pounds in retirement. Now Faneca has accomplished something that would make most offensive linemen shudder: He’s completed a marathon.
Faneca ran his first marathon on Sunday, and he did it in 3:56:17, a very respectable time for any recreational runner, but especially for a guy who in his NFL playing days weighed more than twice as much as elite marathon runners weigh.
The 37-year-old Faneca told Runner’s World that he decided in October that he wanted to run a marathon, and he’s taken his workout routine seriously to get into good enough shape to finish.
“I was always very strict in my training, taking notes and writing things down,” he said. “I had something to lean on.”
The health of retired players is a major concern in NFL circles, and health problems related to obesity are particularly concerning with huge linemen like Faneca. Good for him for putting in the hard work to get himself into marathon-running shape.
